Crystallise
by theoceaninside
Summary: No Zombie AU. Between dividing her time working at Dale's bar and going on various human and animal rights marches, Beth Greene finds herself longing for some excitement in her life. Enter Daryl Dixon. After joining forces to lug a drunken Merle home and a flurry of meetings that could only be fate, Beth and Daryl find themselves drawn to one another in impossible circumstances.
1. You Stay Put

**AN - So I've hit a complete writer's block with 'The Arrow Inside You' (Don't worry it's still being written!) so I decided to try my hand at a Modern AU, where one day I update this story and the next I update 'The Arrow Inside You' Or considering I'm feeling ridiculously creative today I may write until three am to upload the first chapter of this one and the next of 'The Arrow Inside You'. I've had so many ideas flying around for these two at the minute, it's crazy! **

**The town they live in is called Woodbury, it has nothing to do with The Governor or anything like that.**

**I'm gonna make this one quite long to make up for the lack yesterday!**

Beth Greene enjoyed her job working at Dale's bar. She enjoyed the conversations with Sheriff Rick where he told her about his new girlfriend, Michonne and she enjoyed the live music her sister's boyfriend, Glenn played on Fridays, she even enjoyed the weekend atmosphere which was usually full of drunks who just never knew when to quit drinking. She didn't, however, enjoy dealing with an intoxicated Merle Dixon.

Merle was slumped over the bar leaning on one of his arms as his hand holding his glass raised, demanding more drink. Beth was the only one in the bar apart from Tyreese, the only security guard Dale would allow. He cast her a look as if to say _'are you really surprised?'_ Beth shrugged slightly and gently plucked the glass from Merle's hand, but unfortunately he was still sober enough to be outraged by the sudden thievery of his glass.

"What'chu doin' blondie?" He murmured, eyes almost rolling into the back of his head.

"It's closin' time, Mr Dixon." Despite not liking a drunk Merle Dixon, Beth found the sober Merle Dixon much more to her liking. He was mean to any who dared get close to him and was consistently cruel to anyone of colour, being the racist he was. But if Beth pushed through that (and she had to push far) she found that in spite of his racial slurs and sexist comments, he could be funny and she knew he'd protect her against any other drunken brute that stumbled through the doors and for that, Beth had a level of respect for him.

"I'll call Daryl." Tyreese chuckled softly and shook his head before shifting his way behind the bar to reach the corded telephone to call Merle's brother.

Beth had never met Daryl even though she'd handled a near paralytic Merle on numerous occasions. She knew that Daryl was more respected than Merle and according to Dale was 'the only good Dixon to walk the Earth.' but he kept himself to himself, spending most of his time working in at T Dog's garage or passing the time hunting up in the woods that backed off of her father's farm. She had found it surprising how they could live in such a small town, but never cross paths.

"You 'aint callin' no one, nigger." Merle's words struck a chord in Beth as Tyreese simply shook his head.

"Merle Dixon, you apologise. Now." Her doe eyes focused on him and a leaden silenced filled the room as Merle stared down the small slip of Beth Greene.

"I 'aint got nothin' t'apologise for." Merle threw out his arms, as though he had been the victim of the greatest travesty known to mankind.

Beth continued to stare.

"Alrigh', alrigh'." A small silence and then a mumble, but the word 'sorry' was definitely said.

Tyreese nodded once in appreciation to Beth before he dialled the phone. Daryl's number was scrawled across a piece of paper that had obviously been torn from a pamphlet that belonged to the garage and was now tacked onto the cork notice board. The most troublesome customers of Dale's bar had their next of kin's numbers up on the notice board in case of a situation such as this arose.

"Daryl …? It's Merle …" Beth knew Tyreese was talking to Daryl, but she couldn't quite make out what she was saying.

At 21 years old, Beth Greene was the sweetheart of Woodbury.. She was the youngest child of Herschel Greene, arguably one of the most well respected men in their town. The Greenes had owned the rustic farm for decades, ensuring profit flowed through the veins of all that worked hard. His wife Annette helped out around the farm, she set up charity events and fun days out for the children to enjoy. Her eldest brother Shaun wasn't doing all too bad either, helping their father with the animals, Herschel was teaching him everything he knew about the veterinary practice and Shaun was eager to someday handle the farm. Next came Maggie, one of the most sought out women in town, though many were surprised when she settled down and married scrawny, travelling musician Glenn Rhee.

Beth was the black sheep of her family. She'd never been a problem child, not in a million years, but she certainly wasn't content with the life she had. She had grown up sheltered from the world by her father, something that had cost him dearly when she was at high school and found herself being constantly harassed by male classmates who all wanted some of the youngest Greene girl if she was anything like her older sister. Beth's features were also markedly different from the other members of the Greene clan. Her blonde hair was wavy and when she was younger had been in ringlets down to her shoulders, but age and the weight of her hair and smoothed the curls into wavy locks. Her blue irises were a sky blue, as opposed to the rest of her family's ocean blue and she wasn't at all curvy like Maggie or her mother. Her was just a slight frame with not much breast and not much butt as she liked to say.

Tyreese hung up the phone and nodded at Beth, assuring her that Daryl was on his way. Beth busied herself by keeping Merle conscious, it'd be a lot harder for his brother to get him in the car with him completely KO'd. She asked him questions about Daryl, what he was like. If there was something Beth knew about Merle Dixon, it was that the only person he cared for (other than himself, of course) was his baby brother.

"Why d'ya wanna know, blondie? D'ya wanna fuck 'im?" Merle wheezed and continued to lay with his head against the bar.

"No …" Beth felt her face burn hot. "I haven't even met him." She shook her head slightly, knowing Merle was trying to wind her up.

"Good. I 'aint ever seen him with a lady friend anyways, so ya'd be outta luck." His drunken state made his words slur and it felt as though Beth was trying to communicate with a brick wall, but she still pursued.

"He's gay?" She frowned as her head tilted in awe. She went on regular gay rights marches with Rick's son, Carl and enjoyed the overall vibe of the parades set up by the community, but she had a feeling Merle and Will Dixon wouldn't be as supportive.

"He 'aint a faggot!" Merle sat up a little too fast and Beth held the bucket under his head so he could be sick.

Thankfully, as the smell of sick began to linger in the air Daryl Dixon strode inside.

"The fuck is tha'- Aw shit, Merle …" With a heaving sigh, Daryl made his way to his elder brother and helped him stand.

His hair was windswept and Beth assumed that he'd been driving with the window down. He was wearing a worn leather jacket with angel wings embedded in the back which reminded Beth of the old school films Shaun kept in his room about biker gangs. He wore a plaid shirt underneath the jacket which consisted of a colour palette of brown and green, matched with the jacket they probably would have clashed, but on him it seemed cool. His trousers were baggy, but had rips in the knees and the ankles of his trousers were tucked into a pair of combat boots that were laced to the top. The thing Beth found most exciting about the stranger was the crossbow that was strapped across his back . Beth had no clue what type of model it was, but she was certain it was used for hunting deer.

"You been lookin' after him?" His voice was gruff around the edges, but pushing past that his voice was mellow and soft with concern.

"Hardly lookin' after, sir." She smiled slightly and shrugged it off. Beth had handled Merle on multiple occasions and Tyreese had always sent her home before Daryl arrived, but Tyreese wanted to be there when his sister Sasha woke up as it was her 23rd birthday tomorrow, so Beth had ushered him home before Daryl arrived.

"You mockin' me?" He cast a glance her, eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher what she meant.

"What? No, I-" His accusation confused her, all she did was call him 'sir'

"Leave her alone, baby brother." Merle shrugged softly and his voice seemed to calm Daryl.

"Sorry, I'm Daryl Dixon." He didn't smile, but his voice didn't hold the same hostility it did a moment ago, I was surprised to see his hand outstretched for me to shake. It appeared to Beth that Daryl only trusted people that Merle liked.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Beth Greene." She smiled and shook his hand firmly. She noticed he was wearing fingerless gloves and the realisation came that he was probably out hunting when Tyreese had called.

It was late, around 1:30 and usually Tyreese would give her a lift home, her daddy never liked her taking the car to work. Beth held out her arms in order to help support Merle to the truck Daryl had brought.

"You gonna pick her up in the morning?" Beth nodded to motorcycle that was dotted with racist stickers that could only belong to Merle. She'd seen him beat people for even looking at the bike in the wrong way, so she decided it would be best if she simply left it be.

"N'aw. Can'ya do me a favour?" Merle was in Daryl's truck, safely strapped in the passenger seat with the seat belt on.

"Sure." She shrugged as she locked up the bar, Dale had gone to bed an hour or so before. He was getting old and Beth hated to see him so stressed.

"Shouldn' be so ready t'answer." Daryl said, though Beth could detect a hint of a smirk at the corner of his lips.

"Why?" She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow back at him. She liked the new territory she was coming across, the fact that Daryl didn't treat her like she was still a child like the rest of Woodbury knew her.

"'Aint safe t'talk t'no rednecks." He chuckled softly and sat on Merle's bike.

"What are you doin'?" Beth frowned and quickly stepped towards the cycle, her arm outstretched towards an unconscious Merle in the truck.

"Ya said you'd do me a favour, didn't'ya?" Daryl smirked and chucked her the keys to his pickup.

Beth sat inside the pickup and glanced at Merle who sat shotgun. The car smelled strange, different to what she had expected. She'd assumed she'd be overwhelmed by the smell of stale sweat, musty car seats and who knows what else, but she was pleasantly surprised to notice the car smelled like it had just been bought. A lemon scent wafted through the car as she started it up, it was quite pleasant to drive in too, apart from the smell of cigarette smoke that remained.

Beth followed Daryl on a winding road that twisted around a sort of cliff. She knew the Dixon's shack was on the outskirts of a mountain, but she never realised she'd have to drive _up _to get there. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Beth got to the top and frowned. Where was Daryl?

She hesitantly stepped out of the truck and looked around. It was dark and cold, she was only in a vest as the bar got so hot and was only made worse when she went to collect glasses. Her breath swirled in front of her and goosepimples raised upon her flesh, she rubbed her arms in a feeble attempt to warm up.

"Daryl …?" Her voice echoed and cast an eerie atmosphere. She suddenly didn't feel very safe anymore.

The door to the shack opened up and she cautiously stepped across the dark terrain expecting to see Daryl, but was instead greeted by Will Dixon.

Will Dixon had almost become an urban legend among the town, nobody had seen him in so long. Herschel remembered him still, knew him when he used to go drinking everyday down at Dale's though it was Dale's father's at that point. Beth was surprised to see he didn't have a gut from all the drink he'd consumed over the years, though his skin was tinged yellow and his eyes looked pale white in comparison.

"Oh … Hello, Mr Dixon, I just-" Beth had begun to motion towards her car to show the eldest Dixon where his son was.

"Get the _fuck_ off my land, bitch." He snorted hard and spat a glob of phlegm at Beth's feet.

Repulsed, Beth quickly backed away until she hit something hard and whirled around and realised she had backed straight into Daryl. His hands caught her by the shoulders to steady her and his touch was gentle on her soft skin, but somehow managed to radiate a warmth through her.

"I'm sorry … I- I was just leavin'. Your daddy, he-" Beth was clearly shaken by Will Dixon's attitude and Daryl only made it worse.

"I'm sorry, I though' you'd be longer, I went round back for somethin' quick." Daryl spoke to her, but his eyes were locked on his father. "Just wai' here a sec, I'll get Merle inside and give you a ride home."

Beth nodded and got back into the truck to keep herself warm as Daryl leaned forward and spoke to his father. Obviously she couldn't see, but it looked heated. Daryl's head was tilted, talking down at the seemingly frail old man, though a glint in his eyes told Beth he wasn't as defenseless as he seemed. Merle stirred beside her and she shook her head with a knowing smirk as his eyes lit up at seeing her.

"Mmmhmm … Have I died an' gone'to heaven, lil Greene?" Merle tried to lick his lips seductively, but his clouded mind just made it seem as though he was trying to lick the side of the chair.

"Maybe so, Merle. Maybe so."

Ten minutes and awful lot of Daryl dragging Merle later, Beth was sat in the passenger seat of the rusted car.

"It smells nicer than I thought it would." Beth wondered aloud, before almost faceplanting the dashboard from sheer embarrassment. Here she was in Daryl Dixon's truck, a man who most women Beth knew would kill their first born child to be even this close to, commenting on the scent of his vehicle. _Great one._

"Uh .. Thanks." Daryl breathed out a chuckle and started the drive home.

It was a comfortable silence and as they passed the streetlights Beth watched the levels of concentration in his face shift.

"How come I 'aint ever seen'ya before?" Daryl asked, sparing a glance at the blonde next to him.

"You never come to the bar and I never go to the mountains?" She smiled over at him and saw him smile wryly.

"False. I'm always draggin' their asses outta tha' bar," He responded, keeping his eyes on the road. "Ya'just 'aint been workin' the righ' times."

"Oh really?" Beth asked, turning in her seat to focus on him better.

"Yup," Daryl popped the 'p' as he spoke and gently drummed his finger on the steering wheel as he drove. "You still live on the farm?"

"Yeah, daddy isn't even nearly ready to begin even thinkin' about me movin'." Beth chuckled softly and shook her head, slightly saddened though she refused to let it show now.

"Your daddy's a good man." Daryl nodded slightly and Beth examined his features as the passed under a large stretch of light.

He had to be either late 20's or early 30's judging from the way he handled himself. It seemed odd to say, but he had a certain air of wisdom about him that suggested he was somewhat older than her but his facial features and muscled arms said he wasn't _too_ old for her, not that she was thinking like that. He had a little facial hair growing that he obviously shaved regularly and Beth could see a faint scar that travelled from the left corner of his mouth up to the opposite side of his nose, running across the bridge too.

"I know I'm a sweet sight, but ya'don't need t'stare." Daryl raised an eyebrow as he spoke and despite being so standoffish, Beth realised that he was actually a flirtatious person.

"You should know I only got eyes for Merle." She joked and stared out at the road ahead of her, thankful Daryl hadn't tried to embarrass her too much. "So you work for T-Dog?"

"How d'ya think I got this lump of junk?" He thumped the dashboard, though Beth noticed it was an affectionate pat. "Merle'd stole somethin' offa him, an' we didn't have no money to replace it an' I saw this baby all broken outside, told him I'd work on the car to pay off what Merle took. A year later the truck's mine." He shrugged softly as they pulled up to the farm, though they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Thanks for the ride …" She said after a long while as she undid her seatbelt.

"Not a problem." Beth felt his eyes linger on her as she got ready to exit the truck.

"You should come to the bar more, you know to actually drink, not to pick up intoxicated family members." She smiled softly and got out of the car.

"You should be so lucky." He smirked as Beth gently shut the door and went into the house.

Groaning as she realised her father was still awake and sitting up for her, Beth slipped through the door and tried to discreetly go upstairs to her room.

"Beth Greene, you stay put." Her father's voice carried through the house, so he wasn't concerned about waking the rest of his household.

Beth winced and slowly turned to the kitchen where her father sat, eyebrows raised accusingly.

"You're home late." His tone spoke volumes despite being barely above a mumble.

"Merle Dixon got too drunk again, so I had to wait for his brother." She shrugged and went to the fridge, scanning its contents for a midnight snack.

"You know I don't like you working there so late." He sighed as he sipped his water.

"Daddy …" Beth sighed as she turned to face him and leant back against the kitchen counter, unable to find food that suited her fancy.

"No, Beth. You know how much I appreciate Dale setting you up, but you're a young lady…"

Beth knew how opposed her father was to her chosen profession, but it wasn't like it was permanent. She was trying to spare the money in order to move out of Woodbury and go somewhere bigger to achieve more, perhaps have a job in animal rights.

Beth did understand her father's reservations about her job and reflected upon when she had told him she had landed the position. Herschel had had his qualms due to his previous alcoholism, but he'd straightened himself out as soon as Maggie was born. He'd frequented at Dale's bar when he was younger and was familiar with the types of men his daughter would be dealing with daily, or in this case, nightly.

"It's nothin' I can't handle." Beth shrugged softly and smiled at him, she had always been a sweet kid.

"No, I know … Tyreese give you a lift home?" He let the matter drop and smiled at his youngest child, though she wasn't much of a child anymore.

"No, he had to get home for Sasha's birthday," She answered which prompted a raised eyebrow from Herschel. "Daryl Dixon dropped me off, I helped him get Merle home."

"Don't be getting to close to those boys." Her daddy said with a worried tone.

It wasn't that Herschel Greene didn't trust the Dixons, it was that he didn't trust the Dixons with Beth. Had it have been Maggie, he was certain that she would handle herself if it ever came down to … That. But his little Bethy was different, she was a sweet soul and didn't have a bad bone in her body. The Dixons were different. Herschel knew Will, knew what he had done to his two boys but simply figured he best stay out their way. He knew his eldest son Merle too and suspected he would end up like his father. Daryl, however, appeared to be the only normal one. Herschel was aware the youngest Dixon kept away from others and spent most of his days in solitude or cleaning up his family's mess and was the only Dixon to have a job, but that didn't mean he liked him anymore than the others.

"I won't daddy, anyway I'm goin' to bed now, is that alright?" Beth sweeped down to give her father and kiss of the cheek before retreating to her bedroom where she flopped onto her bed after stripping from her work clothes.

Beth lay in bed for a while, thinking about the events of the night. She liked Daryl Dixon and it appeared that he liked her also, but he sent a strange feeling through her that felt an awful lot like butterflies.


	2. Sink Or Swim

**AN - Wow! Thank you so much for the reviews, favourites and follows on this! It's completely unexpected and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

**Sexual assault is in this chapter, so if that's a trigger I'm letting you know now :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Obviously, I don't own anything to do with The Walking Dead, but if I did Norman Reedus would marry me.**

Beth awoke the next morning with the sun shining through the small gap in her curtains. She stretched like a cat, taking up all the room on her bed. She slowly stood up and padded over to the curtains which she threw wide open, squinting as the bright beams of light left blind spots. Beth looked out at her father's land and inhaled deeply. Sometimes, if she was free and her father needed the help she would sit with the animals or go out with him and Shaun to other people's animals.

After showering and choosing an outfit of tight blue skinny jeans and a dusky pink vest Beth helped her mother make breakfast for the rest of the family. She wasn't working until later on in the afternoon so she thought about seeing Sasha, it was her birthday after all. Beth had bought her friend a watch because Sasha was a big believer in fate, chance and how time changed everyone and everything. Personally, she didn't believe it herself but whatever Sasha believed in somehow made its way into Beth's brain.

After wishing her family a good day, Beth borrowed her father's car to quickly stop off in town. Beth had been meaning to buy her own car and she could probably buy one off of T-Dog, but she'd saved this money for so long she didn't feel like just blowing it all at once, so she stopped off at her favourite bookstore.

She ventured inside and the scents of hundreds of books hit her all at once. It felt strange, but she felt like she was at home. She had always been a bookworm and she enjoyed nothing more than spending her time laying in the fields in the sun with an adventure bottled up in 500 pages. She made her way to the fiction section and walked straight into Daryl Dixon.

"You again? Whats'a matter, can't stay away?" He drawled as he leant against one of the bookcases that was propped up against the wall with a book in his hand.

"I wasn't aware the Dixons could read." Beth raised an eyebrow as she searched for a book, bending slightly with her palms on her knees.

"Ouch, little Greene. You wound me." He smirked, favouring Merle's nickname of her and watched her search for her book but Beth knew he was probably trying to get a look at her butt.

"I also didn't realise the Dixons had feelin's" Beth smirked mischievously at the man beside her before scanning the shelves for something she may like.

"Sass mouth." Daryl retorted, his seemingly endless fountain of quips had run dry and he stopped looking at her and focused on the shelf above her head.

"I'm Maggie's little sister. What did you expect?" Beth shrugged, not bothering to look away from the shelf.

"You come here a lot?" Daryl folded his arms and stood up straight.

"Not recently." Beth replied, obviously distracted by the wide range of choice.

"C'mere," Beth could almost hear Daryl rolling his eyes at her as she turned to face him. "I'll find a book for you, you find a book for me," He suggested, shrugging slightly as he spoke and Beth was sure he seemed slightly embarrassed, as though the thought of rejection worried him.

"Sure." Beth was intrigued by this idea. She'd never tried it before and something told her that he hadn't either

They spent the next few hours searching the bookstore from top to bottom, searching every type of genre they could. Daryl finally settled on a classic. Perhaps if had been too safe, too predictable, perhaps she had alreay read it. Daryl glanced at the book before gently placing it back and picking up an entirely different type of book. 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy seemed the perfect choice, he was certain she had never read them and they had been his favourite books as a teenager.

Beth, however, was stuck completely. She had glanced across at Daryl, who had picked up at least five different books in the past half hour, whereas she had picked up none. She had watched him pick up an old classic and cringed. She had already read it and had hated it. A sigh of relief escaped her as he put the book down and took another but she couldn't make out what it was, it seemed like an extremely long book, perhaps multiple books. Beth returned to her own search and she found herself drawn to the comic books. There were graphic novels, comic books, encyclopedias and she couldn't even identify some of the other stuff. Beth knew about a few heroes, she had read Shaun's old comics when she was younger and she'd enjoyed them, but her daddy had never bought them for her because she was a little lady. He wasn't strict or harsh, he just had traditional views.

Finally, Beth found the heroes she had been searching for. She picked up two separate graphic novels that were so heavy her arm shook under the weight of them and went to the counter. As far as she was aware Daryl hadn't seen her buy the comics and she knew it was a risk considering he was over 20 years old, but she had the receipt so if he hated them that much he could always refund them.

They met up outside the bookshop before quickly exchanging bags. Daryl was quick to shove his in his rucksack, something that didn't go unnoticed by Beth but she let the matter slide. She was desperate to peek inside and see what journey awaited her, but Daryl had been set on the fact that they couldn't see the books until they had gone their different ways.

"Thanks for that, it was fun." Beth smiled slightly. Her smiles were always mischievous around Daryl, like she was always hiding something. She wasn't, of course but she liked fooling him into thinking she did.

"Are'ya workin' tonight?" Daryl's had shoved his hands into his pockets and he spoke at the ground slightly, a whole different change from the Daryl she'd spoken to an hour ago.

"Mmhmm, no doubt I'll be seein' Merle." She said softly, trying to coax Daryl from boring his eyes into the ground.

"Maybe me as well." He glanced at her and nodded once, before getting in his pick up and driving off.

Daryl Dixon was an intriguing character and Beth was pretty sure he had her wrapped around his finger.

Beth slowly pulled up into Sasha's drive. Of course there were 'Happy Birthday, Sasha!' banners plastered across the windows, she couldn't help but smile at her friend's antics. Beth stood at the front door, the watch's box was neatly wrapped in a pretty pink and white polka dot paper with a soft pink ribbon wrapped over the top. Yeah, Beth could be a neat freak but it wasn't like it was a bad trait. She knocked on the door twice and less than a minute later it was flung wide open by a member of Sasha's family that she had never seen before, but they smiled and welcomed her inside.

Beth loved the atmosphere at Sasha's house, probably because it was so unlike her own. The farm was calm and quiet, the only things that happened there was Maggie and Herschel getting into shouting matches. Sasha's house, however was filled with a tight knit air as though everyone there never argued and never fought yet there was always something going on. Beth wormed her way past people and made it to the kitchen, where Sasha was ogling a birthday cake that was almost the same height as one of the children sat in a highchair.

"Happy Birthday!" Beth squealed to catch Sasha's attention, which obviously worked as there was no way that voice could be misheard.

"Beth!" Sasha hurried over to meet her best friend as they hugged each other tightly. They saw each other a lot, but it always felt too long until their next meeting. The two felt a union between them that neither of them had felt with their own siblings either, if one began a sentence the other finished it and they felt more like sisters than they did friends.

Beth shyly handed over her present. She was certain Sasha would like it, though she was sure she'd have to explain. Beth watched with glee as Sasha gently unravelled the wrapping and lifted up the lid and she could almost taste the happiness she sensed in Sasha's eyes.

"I thought because you have so many books on fate and destiny …" Beth began, but Sasha enveloped her in a hug so tight she couldn't breathe comfortably and it seemed as though Sasha already understood what the watch represented.

"Come talk with me," The two sat outside in the back garden with the sun beaming on their backs as they enjoyed a cold drink. "Your daddy called me last night." Sasha shot her best friend a glance as her eyebrow raised.

"About me bein' late home?" Beth smirked as she watched the patterns the sun made on the inside of her glass. It seemed everyone around her was too overprotective and Beth was certain that soon she would go up the wall from the constant restraint.

"You got it in one. Gonna tell me what happened?"

Beth relived the tale of the previous night for Sasha, explaining about the racial slurs Merle had used against her brother and the smell of Daryl's truck. She felt lost in the story feeling like this was the sort of thing that happened in movies and bad sitcom shows, but it was all very real, to her at least.

"Damn …" Sasha nodded slightly. Beth would have winced if Herschel had been around, he didn't accept any type of foul language in his household.

"Speaking of …" Beth sighed as she held up Sasha's arm to inspect the time on her new watch. "I have work."

"Oh, come on!" Sasha rolled her eyes as Beth stood. "It's my birthday!"

"I know and I'm sorry, but Dale needs all the help he can get right now. Have a lovely birthday and I'll call you midafternoon when you're not hungover." Beth winked and left giving a quick nod to Tyreese who she knew was always working that day.

Later on as she worked the bar with Dale, Beth found herself glancing at the door every five minutes or so. She'd known this man two minutes and he'd already gotten inside of her head.

"What's wrong, Beth?" Dale's soft voice made her smile. He was the kindest man she knew and he treated her like a daughter, he never had a harsh word for her and gave her the most insightful advice.

"There's this guy …" Beth sighed as she sat on the bar, it was a lazy afternoon so no one would be too fussed by it.

"And?" Dale frowned slightly as he used a rag to dry up his dishes.

"And he's confusing." Beth rolled her eyes and laughed softly at his concern.

"May I have the pleasure of knowing the fellow's name?" He cocked an eyebrow, but couldn't help smiling at Beth's laugh.

Beth bit her lip with indecision as she watched the bar slowly fill up as the day grew on.

"Promise you won't tell daddy?" Beth knew she could trust Dale, probably more than anyone but she also knew that if he didn't like something or thought Beth was in danger he'd no doubt tell her parents.

"Alright …" His voice wavered, but she knew that she could trust him with this.

"Daryl Dixon." Beth said with a cringe, she wasn't too sure as to how Dale would take this revelation.

"Daryl Dixon?" Beth watched as Dale processed the name, turning it over in his head. She knew that Dale wasn't particularly fond of the Dixons but also knew that Daryl seemed to be the only one he liked and she wondered why. "Why couldn't you settle for a farmer's boy?"

"I'm not in love with him, Dale." Beth chuckled softly and ignored his concern, it seemed all anyone wanted to do was pry into her affairs. Where had she been? Who had she spoken to? She was getting rather sick of it, but she knew Dale only had her best interest at heart. "He's interesting, is all."

Dale dropped the matter and just continued to dry up glasses and Beth somehow felt that it was her fault as to why Dale suddenly felt so distant from her. She decided it was best for her to just leave the subject and continue working, so she did. Her hands were beginning to blister from the handles of the machines that were used to dispense alcohol and she grimaced. Her hands had never been particularly soft, considering she usually spent her days cleaning or riding the animals, but it would be nice to have a sense of femininity.

The evening passed quickly and before she knew it, Merle Dixon was sat at the bar accompanied by none other than his little brother.

"'Aint you a pretty sight." Merle crooned after Beth and she simply rolled her eyes as she wove in and out of the bar's locals as she tried to pick up the empty glasses.

Beth had brought her bag into work with her incase the bar got quiet towards the end of the night, the bag had the book that Daryl had bought her earlier on and it made her wonder whether he liked what she had chosen for him. One of the graphic novels had been about DC's Green Arrow seeing as he enjoyed bows so much, Beth knew that his was a crossbow and they were totally different things, but she thought he'd appreciate the sentiment. The other was a collection of stories about Marvel's Hawkeye, her favourite hero and some of his witty banter reminded her of Daryl.

Finally, the night drew near to its end and she sat on a bar stool to relax slightly. Merle, Daryl and a few other customers were still there and usually left at around closing time. Beth found it strange that she hadn't seen Daryl drinking alcohol all night, she knew he liked it because it seemed as though every Dixon had more alcohol in his veins than blood. Merle was a little more talkative tonight as he tried to show off to Daryl by flirting with Beth.

"Hey there, lil Greene." Merle slurred slightly as he almost comically wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, Merle?" Beth didn't bother looking up from her magazine, she didn't want to read the book Dayl had got her in front of him incase he felt put out or awkward around her.

She had noticed how lonely Daryl really was when everyone who sat by Merle completely blanked him. Perhaps he had prefered it that way, but Beth had never seen Daryl properly communicate with anyone really and she was reminded of how hostile he had been to her at first, despite being quick to warm up to her.

"How come a pretty lil lady like'ya 'aint got no man?" Merle pouted slightly. He had meant it as a compliment, but it had just come off to Beth as though she was incompetent without a man.

"Because I don't want one," Beth glanced up at her magazine to see Daryl smirk as he sipped his drink. "Is somethin' funny?" Beth frowned and sat up straight, placing the magazine on the bar.

"Well, yeah, You're sass mouthin' Merle." Daryl smirked slightly more and earned a punch in the arm from his older brother.

"Hmmm, you watch what you're sayin' now Darlena." Merle grumbled and returned to his drink.

"Yeah, Darlena." Beth cooed as she smiled and she notice a flush of red creep up Daryl's neck.

The three of them spent the night in quiet conversation until Merle passed out. Again. Daryl glanced at his fallen brother and rolled his eyes.

"I gotta get him home." Daryl propped up Merle again and Beth ventured outside to watch him literally throw his brother into the passenger seat of the pick up.

"I should get back to the bar, I'll get Tyreese to help y'all out." Beth smiled and as if he could hear her, Tyreese appeared.

Beth watched as the two men made small talk, apparently Daryl appreciated Tyreese calling him whenever Merle was too intoxicated to move. She made her way back inside the bar and the only person left there was Ed.

Ed gave Beth an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and she didn't like the thought of being alone with him, but she convinced herself she was simply being paranoid and shoved it to the back of her mind. She went to the pool table to ensure everything was still in place when she heard a scuffle from a chair behind her.

"You're nothin' like my wife." Ed whispered and Beth would have felt much more comfortable if he had full on screamed in her face.

"Carol's lovely … What're you sayin'?" Beth tried to smile, this was nothing. The man was drunk and was just making small talk, he and Carol must have had some kind of disagreement, though she was sure most of the abuse had been at Carol and had been relatively one sided.

"I'm sayin' I'd be better off with you." Ed slowly made his way forward and Beth was pushed back against the wall. She could scream for help and risk Dale getting hurt, or she could try and get away from him. She had the advantage, she was small and nimble whereas he was a lumbering drunk at this point in time, she ducked to the side but she had underestimated his reflexes.

He pinned her wrists to the side of her head and Beth felt sick rise to her throat as he drew his eyes up and down her body and reached for the fly of his trousers. The panic hit Beth all at once and she tried to kick forward, but his free hand was clasped so tight over her mouth she couldn't even attempt to bite him. Thankfully her trousers were still done up tight, but as he pressed his mouth to her neck his body collided with her and she could feel his erection against her hip. Repulsed, she tried to bring up her knee to force him away from her, but the hand that wasn't over her mouth trailed down her thigh to stop her.

Beth heard the bell on top of the door tinkle and a wave of nauseating relief washed over her, but the person who entered didn't even look in her direction. Ed fell silent and stopped moving and pressed all his weight against her so she couldn't make an attempt to escape as he studied the intruder. The person by the bar scribbled something on a napkin and went to leave, but at the last minute stopped as though they had heard something.

The next thing Beth remembered was seeing Ed being dragged off of her by Daryl, who was now pinning him to the floor. The commotion had woken up Dale and he quickly raced down the steps, he was standing by the stairs horrified at the sight he was witnessing when Beth glanced at him. Tyreese held Beth close to him but she was too shocked to feel comforted and had this been an hour or so later she probably would have cringed away from his touch.

She felt dirty, tainted, impure. She had been raised in a house where a man touching her before marriage was sin and now she stood with a wet patch against her thigh that she had obtained when Ed had pressed his crotch against her. She watched as Dale called someone, either her father or the police or perhaps maybe both as Daryl held Ed to the floor.

The police arrived first taking Ed far, far away from her. She noticed Rick talking to Daryl and she just stared at the ground as he pointed over to her. She was sat in the back of Daryl's pick up, it felt safe but not claustrophobic and it allowed her to inspect the night sky.

"How're you holdin' up, Beth?" Rick's kind eyes found hers and she just nodded meekly.

Rick sighed and took her hands in his and Beth was certain that if he had been anyone else he would have kicked and screamed, but Rick was a good, kind man. He smiled softly and nodded.

"Your daddy's on his way." He stroked her hair gently before returning to Daryl and she knew her questioning would begin tomorrow.

Herschel was going to kill her, she was sure of it. He was definitely going to make her quit her job and tell her he knew that something like this would happen. Beth heard her father before she saw him, he quickly walked over to her and held her close to him, she breathed in his scent and closed her eyes, feeling safe in his arms.

"This job, is it something you want to do?" His eyes scanned hers as he kissed her forehead gently and she nodded, staying mute. After a few minutes, Herschel was pulled away by Rick, no doubt to talk about what had happened and Daryl came to find her.

"I don't need a babysitter." She said, a ghost of a smile etched upon her lips.

"I know, I wanted to talk t'ya." He nodded slightly and looked away, Beth noticed he'd stayed away from her, did he find her dirty too?

"Oh… Thank you for, well … You know." She sighed slightly as she watched him.

"I heard him breathin'. He was pantin' loud. If come back in for my keys an' I wanted to surprise him, didn't know if he has a weapon on him," Daryl turned to look at her and Beth felt an intensity in his eyes. "Listen, I 'aint good with this." He sounded apologetic, completely and utterly apologetic.

"You don't need to be," Beth sighed and continued looking out at the long stretch of road ahead of them. "You saved me, remember?"

"Hm." He grunted and stood up. "Scootch." He smiled at her and for some reason it made a small weight lift from her heart.

Beth gently hopped off of the back of his truck and turned to face him, but he had already gotten into the truck.

"An' Beth?" Daryl called her over to the window and she frowned slightly, obliging. "Situations like this change people," He was sat in the front seat and looking out at the road, but he turned to face her. "People sink or swim and I sure as hell 'ain't lettin' you sink."


	3. Every Star He Saw

**AN - Thank you every so, so, **_**so**_** much for the lovely reviews! Though I got one negative comment (and I'm still not quite sure I understand it) I'm so inspired to write more! In regards to the sexual assault scene in the last chapter, I was so nervous about doing it all wrong but from the reviews it seems I did okay so thank you very much!**

**A bit shorter this time, but it's taken me a **_**long**_**time to write.**

The next day saw Beth interrupted on multiple occasions. Dale had simply told her to take off as much time as she needed, but she didn't want this special treatment he had given her. Yes, she had been through a trauma but she wasn't physically hurt, simply shaken up.

Beth had heard her parents argue for the first time after Herschel had brought Beth home and thought she was asleep. Annette had begged Herschel to make Beth quit her job, pay her to if he had to but to Beth's surprise, her father had shook his head. He argued that it was Beth's choice and though he didn't support her current job he wasn't going to stop her, the girl needed independence. This had enraged her mother and had screamed at Herschel to stop being a lousy father and to see that this job was going to be the end of their daughter.

Beth was thankful that Sasha hadn't called yet, she hadn't felt like retelling the story for the fourth time in less than twenty fours hours, even if she was her best friend and biggest comfort. She had showered four times over, though it felt like the wet patch Ed had left against the thigh of her jeans had seeped through and seared itself into her skin. Beth supposed that most sexual assault victims spent the night of their attack sleepless and crying and almost felt guilty when she'd slept soundlessly after the shouts of her parents subsided

Rick had been and gone, asking if she'd like to press charges or have anything to do with the arrest, she'd refused much to her sister's fury.

"What are you doin'?" Maggie's voice had been a loud whisper and her eyes had been filled with confusion.

"I just wanna forget it." Beth shrugged, her eyes shifted uncomfortably to different pieces of furniture across her room all the while avoiding her sister's glare.

Shaun had been different. Maggie had tried to hide her anger at Ed, but Shaun had all but threatened to kill him and it had taken both Rick and Shane to calm him. Beth had just wanted to stay in her room and think through her new options that ranged from going into work that evening and slaughtering Ed.

As she sat on the loveseat with her knees pulled right to her chin she thought of the book Daryl had bought her and so she reached across her room as far as she could without losing her comfortable position and pulled the bag to her. Beth opened the bag and was surprised to find three books wrapped in tissue paper to ensure the pages stayed neat.

"The Lord of the Rings …" She whispered softly as she fingered the spine of the first book which was black and had 'The Fellowship of the Ring' inscribed in golden calligraphy across the front. Beth, for the first time in what felt like forever, laughed. It was a soft, shaky laugh but it made her insides feel lighter as though the events of the previous night had stopped compressing her organs.

Beth was busy reading when her father interrupted her with a visitor.

"I … I am _so_ sorry." A small voice that was wracked in guilt piped up that could only belong to Ed's wife, Carol.

Beth felt her insides mush together as her throat felt like it was beginning to close. This wasn't what she wanted, she didn't want an argument with her attacker's wife, she didn't even want to remember his name. She looked up and saw her father raise an eyebrow nervously asking for permission to leave Carol with her and for some unbeknownst reason, Beth nodded. Carol nodded in appreciation and made her way to sit on Beth's bed, her steps were so slow it seemed like she was shuffling towards a destination she'd never reach. Finally, when she sat down, she began.

"I always … I always knew he liked you, Beth. The only reason he went to that goddamn bar was to see you and I hated you for a long, _long_ time …" Carol stared down at her hands, ashamed of the words that spilled from her mouth. "And I was so blind to what he thought about you that I allowed it to continue. I was so desperate not to lose him that I blamed you for 'leading him on.'," Carol meekly raised her head to look at the blonde opposite her. "If I'd have known what he was going to do to you before it happened … Believe me when I say I would have stopped it," The older women reached forward and held Beth's hands tight as Beth felt a sob rise to her throat. "You aren't a victim, Beth Greene. You're a survivor."

"I feel so … Dirty." Beth inhaled a shaky breath as she looked up at Carol. It was the first time Beth had seen so much empathy and understanding in another's eyes.

"So did I, when he used to do it to me," Carol's hand reached out and stroked Beth's cheek with the back of her hand and Beth flew forward and embraced the woman tightly. "I will always, _always_ be here for you, sweetheart." Carol's breath tickled her ear and Beth dissolved into a bundle of sobs strung together by desperate gulps of breath that shook her whole body.

Herschel burst into the room at the sound of his youngest's distress, but calmed considerably when he saw Carol holding his baby girl. Shaun followed soon after, but his father held out a hand to stop him from moving any further with a finger pressed to his lips.

Beth and Carol had spent the next hour or so walking around the farm talking about their experiences. Carol told Beth about the insufferable domestic abuse she was subjected to at the hands of her spouse and in return Beth confided in her the amount of men who treated her like a piece of meat. Herschel had watched on and as Carol made her leave, he held out his hand to shake before whispering _'thank you.'_ in her ear. Carol had nodded with understanding as she left, waving goodbye to the new friend she had found in his youngest daughter.

It seemed after that, Beth couldn't catch a moment to herself in that house. There was always a watchful eye on her, from all of her family members and it was slowly beginning to wear her down. She pulled Maggie aside, having to nearly drag her away from Glenn who was staying with them that weekend.

"Maggie, I am _not_ a child. You have got to stop watchin' over me." Maggie had noticed how drained her little sister looked as she scolded her and realised she had looked this way for a while, ever since Herschel had voiced his concerns over Beth's job at the bar.

"I know, I know. I just don't like that I'm not there to protect you," Maggie smiled with affection as she stroked some of Beth's hair over her ear. "We're worried."

"I know you are and that's understandable, but worrin' won't take back what happened, " Beth shrugged. "Nothin' will and I'm okay with that. I'm goin' to dust myself off and pick myself up again."

Maggie nodded and watched as Beth tilted her chin up and sauntered out of the room, when had her baby sister grown up? Beth's smile almost stretched from ear to ear as she inhaled a breath of superiority. She was going to sit in her room and continue reading The Lord of the Rings, or she would have if the doorbell hadn't rung.

Groaning, Beth made her way to the door and she felt all the confidence she possessed when confronting Maggie drip down her body and dissolve into a puddle on the floor. She answered the door and was mortified to see Daryl Dixon smiling sheepishly back at her with his hands shoved so deep into his pockets Beth wouldn't have been surprised if they tore through the seams.

"Hey … Do you wanna … Take a walk with me?" Daryl avoided looking at her, choosing to stare at the seat on the porch instead.

" I…" Beth felt stupid for the nerves that formed, Daryl had always been nice to her. Then again despite his treatment of Carol, Ed had always been nice to her too. "Sure." She inhaled deeply, her phone was in her pocket and her father had purchased a rape alarm for her and she was surprised to find that she felt _much _safer having it on her.

Beth made sure to tell everyone in the house that she was going on a walk and that she didn't know when she would be back, so they shouldn't panic if it had been a few hours. After racing upstairs and getting changed into comfortable walking attire, Beth met Daryl outside on the porch and they began to walk away from the farm.

"Is this alrigh'?" Daryl asked her as he led her away from her home, but Beth noted he had made sure to stick to where people would see them and a wave of appreciation washed over her at his concern.

"You don't need to walk around me like I'm gonna break." Beth turned her head to look at him and saw him visibly relax.

"You're tougher than tha'." Daryl nodded and looked out at the path they walked on as his hands slid into his pockets again.

"You're the one that saved me," Beth stopped walking in order to look at him properly. "Everyone's makin' out like I'm some hero, but … I didn't _do_ anythin'." The frustration was clear in her voice and she raked a hand through her hair in exasperation.

"You've been through a lot," Daryl stepped closer to her and Beth felt her breath hitch in the back of her throat, it felt like everyone would condemn her for wanting Daryl's arms around her to comfort her after the night before. "An' you deserve to be told how stron' you are." Beth looked up into Daryl's eyes as she felt his hand lightly on her shoulder and she gently rested her hand atop his. After a few moments Daryl quickly pulled his hand back and continued walking, she quickly followed.

"D'ya like the books?" Daryl turned, his face was red from a blush though Beth decided to pretend she hadn't seen. His voice was tinged with arrogance and Beth finally felt like she had landed back on earth after being raised on the pedestal others had put her on.

"I thought we weren't discussin' them." Beth raised an eyebrow slightly and Daryl nudged her gently before loosely draping his arm around her shoulders as they walked.

"Now, now lil greene, a man's allowed to go back on his word 'aint he?" They stopped walking and Beth noticed they were at a small house on the side of the road that could probably have passed as a log cabin.

"Why are we here?" Beth's doe eyes focused on Daryl's shy irises and he just continued walking to the cabin.

Intrigued, Beth followed him and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the two graphic novels by the side of a bed and pizza box with her favourite toppings in the centre of the rug that was spread across the floor. As she glanced at the tv Beth noticed a soppy romantic comedy was on and she shook her head as she sat beside Daryl who was sitting crossed legged with his arms out, inviting her to survey the room.

"Don't say I never treat'ya." He still held the arrogance he usually had about him, but Beth noticed the way he avoided looking at her.

"I don't like rom-coms." Beth sat opposite him on the carpet and motioned to the tv.

"You're so godamned hard to please." Daryl retorted with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"You own this place?" Beth took in her surroundings, it was cosy and almost everything about it screamed Daryl Dixon from the crossbow bolts that were neatly arranged on a table to the clothes he had tried to hide under his bed so the room looked tidier.

"I use it when I'm out huntin'," He replied, helping himself to the pizza. "Merle told me your favourite." He explained as he wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of his mouth.

"You're actin' like a teenager." Beth giggled, helping herself to a slice anyway.

"Do you ever quit complainin'?" Daryl smirked at her as he ate.

Two hours and an empty pizza box later, Beth and Daryl lay next to each other on the rug, looking up at the rotating ceiling fan.

"Thank you, for this, I mean," Beth stared up still, watching the blades spin endlessly above them. "It was lovely."

"I wanted to take your mind off'a it." Daryl replied, both of them were whispering as they enjoyed their moment of tranquility.

"You did."

"That's good."

"Daryl?"

"Beth?"

"Do you think … After what happened last night, that I'm dirty?" Beth turned her head to watch him and saw a muscle in his jaw clench.

"No," Beth struggled to hear him as his pitch dipped in volume and his body tensed. "You 'aint dirty." He made a conscious effort to remain looking at the ceiling.

"I feel it." She sighed as she turned back to look up and closed her eyes, growing weary of the sight that greeted her.

"Well you 'aint," His tone told her it was the end of the conversation, but it was his turn to look at her now, though he knew she wouldn't be able to see him.

Her features were perfect, Daryl decided. _She_ was perfect. She was the first person to see him as Daryl and not as 'the youngest Dixon' as everyone else did. Beth Greene was empathetic and loving and kind and it made him fucking _crazy _for her. Every moment she was absent was a moment wasted and every thought that didn't involve her wasn't worth thinking about.

"Beth?" He gently nudged her hand so she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Daryl?" Her eyes were filled with an intensity that loomed in the air, hovering over them like a storm cloud.

"You're goddamn beautiful." Daryl whispered and turned on his side to gently caress her face with the back of his hand before catching himself and letting his hand limply flop to the floor beside her.

"It's okay …" Beth's lips tugged upwards into a shy smile as she gently guided his hand to her cheek again, she'd never experienced this Daryl before but felt like she knew exactly what to do. "You make me feel safe."

Daryl felt like his chest was constricting as his fingertips relished at the touch of her skin and his heart beat in time with the pounding in his head.

"A redneck like me?" Daryl chuckled softly and lightly pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm a Dixon, ya'should be terrified of the things my family's done." He wasn't going to tell her about the long family history of abuse and lawbreaking his brother and father boasted of, but he was sure she had some idea. There wasn't a way she could have hidden from the type of people his folks were, not with all the gossip that spread through Woodbury and by God, there was a lot about the Dixons.

Daryl felt Beth's eyelashes tickle his chin as her eyelids fluttered closed at his touch and he allowed himself this single, solitary moment to savour the scent of her hair and the softness of her skin before pulling away and retreating to the darkest corner of his mind where the memories of abuse and neglect began to spark with life, refusing to be forgotten.

"I'm not scared of you, Daryl Dixon." Beth murmured, clasping his hand in hers tightly as she succumbed to the spell of sleep.

Daryl looked up at the ceiling but it was the stars he saw as he thanked every God he knew of for Beth Greene.


	4. For A Beautiful Woman Like Yourself

After a morning of nagging, shouting and tears Beth got ready for work. She had left Daryl's cabin excruciatingly early when her bleary eyes had fallen upon her phone and saw she had over twenty missed calls from her family. In record timing, Beth had managed to race home to explain the situation to her parents but to her horror she found officers Grimes and Walsh sitting in the lounge consoling her mother who's shaking hands were raised to her face, sending mind numb aves of guilt searing through Beth when she saw.

"I'm here, I'm okay!" Her voice hitched with ragged breathing as she skidded into the doorway opening.

Everyone in the room stood to stare at her, every single one of their faces betrayed their anger and concern and Beth begged the ground to swallow her whole. It was bad enough that she had been late, but calling the police had just made her feel more overwhelmed and she was certain that this was going to jeopardize her request to go back to work that evening.

"Listen, Beth …" Officer Walsh had begun, taking her hands in his. Beth had never felt safe around Shane Walsh, he always had a gleam in his eyes that made her uncomfortable. From what she had heard he also had a bad history with the Dixons, used to do a few jobs with them before screwing them over to join the local department, sold them out and landed Merle a year in jail."We know you've been through an ordeal, but you- You can't just go runnin' off into the night. Where's Daryl Dixon?"

The fact that Daryl had been dragged into the predicament only made things worse and in her heart of hearts it didn't surprise her that Walsh had immediately assumed that Daryl had been the reason for her being so late. Maggie told her once that the Dixon brothers had been out for Shane ever since Merle was let out of prison, which was some time ago at least. From this information Beth tried to figure out how old Daryl was and placed him, roughly at 35 though she was sure someone had told her he had gone to school with Glenn. Clearly not.

"Daryl hasn't got anythin' to do with it." Beth shrugged and with a small act of defiance, squared her shoulders and raised an eyebrow at the officer.

"We're not sayin' he has we just-"

"Well, I'm tellin' you, he has nothin' to do with it." And with a flourish, Beth swivelled and exited the lounge and retreated to her room.

It didn't take long for Maggie to approach her after her outburst.

"What do you think you're doin'?" Maggie's accent was a lot heavier than Beth's and was only stronger when she was angry.

Maggie Greene was the flame of the family. An unruly problem child with a fiery temper Maggie had been the most troublesome of the Greene offspring. She stood infront of Beth now with her hands on her hips and her short brown hair brushed her cheekbones gently as she almost vibrated in anger. The receiving end of Maggie Greene's wrath was not somewhere you wanted to be.

"I'm gettin' ready for work." Beth tried to keep her voice as even as she could, but a trace of fear seeped through.

"You know what I mean, Elizabeth." Maggie's voice darkened and Beth knew she was glaring at her.

"Look, I had a night out, okay? I know it wasn't smart and I should have called, but I had a _really_ good night." Maggie must have seen the sincerity in her baby sister's eyes as her glare softened into a small smile.

"What's he like?" Maggie took Beth's hand and sat her on her bed, sitting cross legged in typical American girl sleepover style. Maggie Greene didn't know a lot about her sister, but she did know that when Beth had that gooey look in her eyes she liked someone.

Beth gushed for the better part of an hour about Daryl Dixon. She described every aspect of him at length starting with his unruly brown hair that jutted out at every angle and according to Daryl defied every hair product he bothered to try and tame it with. Next was his eyes. They were a piercing blue that made you feel like he was reading your mind and seeing your heart's desires which was extremely unnerving if you were Beth Greene, who - on more than one occasion - had thought about what kind of boyfriend he would make. His attitude, she said, was both infuriating and inviting. He would insult you but leave you begging for more and it got right under her skin sometimes, though she usually held her own with him.

Maggie grinned from ear to ear as she listened to her little sister talk about Daryl. She was only half listening as she thought of the small girl Beth had been, scared of anything with a pulse. Someone would sneeze and she would scurry behind her mother's skirts, but now she was different. Being in Daryl Dixon's company had certainly changed Beth, she thought. Beth would only sass Merle never anyone else, not even her family and she had watched as her confidence had grown and she had flowered into an independent young woman. But then, as Maggie pondered, she noticed that the confidence shift in Beth had come long before, when she had started working at that stupid bar in the first place. She made a mental note to reassure her father that this job was a good thing for Beth.

"Maggie!" Beth's pale hand waved in front of her face and Maggie shook her head slightly.

"Yeah, yeah. It's great. Now go get ready for work." Maggie winked at her sister, she trusted Daryl to protect her and if he didn't? Well, he'd soon find out why no one liked to cross the eldest Greene sister.

After much persuasion and with the help of her sister, Beth was finally driving to work. Her father had called Dale to warn him of the impending Hurricane Beth that would soon be upon him and Beth understood that Dale had been nervous to allow her back to work, but she completely understood why. Hershel had told her that Dale had felt so guilty about what had happened he hired an extra 'security' guy who Beth was yet to meet.

As she pulled up in the parking lot, Beth saw a long line of motorcycles and worryingly saw Daryl's pickup parked at the end of the line. She hadn't been surprised to see Merle's bike close to the front of the line though. Beth cast one last worried look at Daryl's pick up and went inside.

Beth's apprehension quickly dissipated as she melted into the lively atmosphere of the the smell of musty furniture and warm beer, Beth quickly climbed over the counter and surveyed the room, trying to find Daryl.

Her heart sank as she saw him taking shots with his brother. Even from her distance, Beth could see the wild gleam in Daryl's eyes she had so often seen in Merle's when he was ripped her eyes from the scene and forced herself to begin working, she'd fought hard enough to actually be allowed out so there was no point in wasting the opportunity.

Dale made an effort to constantly be by her side whether it was when she refilled glasses or washed them and Beth was surprised to find that she didn't mind the company. The sage advice Dale handed out stuck with anyone who'd received it and in this moment, Beth could use some herself.

"Look at him." Beth nodded in Daryl's direction, he was now laughing with Merle and though he seemed truly happy Beth knew it wasn't right.

"He hasn't seen you." Dale nodded thoughtfully after considering the situation. His eyes turned back to Beth and he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Don't go near him this evening."

Beth knew he was right, Dale usually was but she felt like she needed to know what the hell had gotten into him. A group of empty glasses sat on the bar in front of them so naturally Beth ignored exactly what Dale said and drew in a deep breath as she walked over to the men in leather jackets and greasy hair with her head held high.

Daryl was having a good night. It was nice to not have to worry about what the fuck his brother was up to, because he was with him. Merle had been involved with these guys for a while, seemed like a good group that had a good deal going on. Merle had come to him earlier that evening, asking if his baby brother wanted to relive the glory days.

He'd thought about how much Beth would disapprove of this band of people with their drug habits, but it had been so long since he'd been part of 'The Dixon Brothers' as locals used to call them. In his late teens and most of his twenties Daryl had been a junkie who followed everything Merle said without question like a good little soldier, but he was older now and he'd be fucked if Merle was gonna boss him around this time. No, Daryl would take an active part in what the two of them did from now on, Merle usually got them in situations where they were likely to lose a limb. It was one of the reasons Daryl had disappeared from the town, when one of the deals went bust and he ended up with a scar on his face.

With an eye on Beth and an eye on his drink, Daryl had a good fucking time, and christ it had been a long time since he'd been able to enjoy himself around Merle. His mood dropped when Beth came over. He was certain he'd done well not to catch her eye, the last thing he wanted was for her to get involved with this group. He wanted her to think of him as the man she was with last night, full of flirtatious jokes and kind gestures not the person he was around Merle, but at the same time he didn't. He wanted Beth to see him for who he really was, that way he couldn't disappoint her, could he?

"What are you doin'?" Beth hissed through clenched teeth, leaning over the bar so she didn't have to talk loud enough for the other men to hear.

"Nothin', run alon' sweetheart." Unfortunately, Daryl was so drunk he couldn't actually see straight, his voice was a tone louder and he could barely hear himself think though he was acutely aware it was Beth he was talking to.

"Go home, Daryl." Beth sighed as she picked up one of the glasses.

To Daryl's horror, Merle's friends had begun to turn their attention to them when Beth's voice raised in exasperation, but he was feeling brave. He stood up from his bar stool so he was staring Beth down, eyes boring into hers as he tilted his head slightly and when she didn't back down cocked his eyebrows.

"Yeah Daryl, enjoy your girlfriend!" One of the men piped up from the back and the rest of the group collapsed in laughter.

"Get." Daryl jabbed his thumb in the opposite direction, pointing in the direction he wanted her to go.

"Go _fuck _yourself, Daryl Dixon 'cause no one else will." Beth spat the words at him before spinning on her heel and storming away from the group and going outside to calm down. Daryl was certain that he'd seen the affair go down, but he hadn't kicked Daryl out yet.

"That little bitch." One of the men said, Daryl didn't yet know their names but he sure he was going to find out soon. "C'mon boys, we'll go scare her."

They followed the youngest Greene out of the bar and watched her. She was standing with her back against the wall, crying and Daryl could see her eyes shine from where he was standing.

"Hey little lady," The leader of the group called out to her. "We didn't like the way you spoke to our boy back there." The man sauntered towards her.

"Hey! You guys go back inside, I'll handle her." Daryl's heart stopped as the men considered their options and then nodded at Daryl, brushing past him as they made their way inside.

"Beth, I din't mean it." His words were slurred, but he meant everything he said as he stumbled over to Beth.

Beth was still leaning against the wall, but her fists were clenched as her eyes streamed with tears filled with both frustration and fear.

"Get away from me, you're drunk." Pressing herself back against the wall, Beth continued to glare at the man opposite her.

"Beth I 'aint like … 'Aint like tha' prick."

He was standing infront of her now with a hand against the wall next to her head, but still giving her the enough room to move if she wanted to, but she didn't.

"No, but alcohol changes people. Changed you." Daryl knew she had chosen her words specifically to hurt him but his intoxication acted like a shield, reflecting any attempt at wound him.

"Listen just … Go home. Alrigh'?" He gently put his finger against her lips to stop her arguing with him. He was trying so hard to be what she deserved but at the same time was trying to show her what he truly was and that no matter how hard he tried, he was never going to get away from it.

"Go home? I work here, maybe you should take your own advice."

She was being defiant on purpose and it infuriated Daryl beyond belief. The fact he wasn't sober didn't help his mood as she riled him up, spouting constant shit about how he was a good man, a better man than the one he was right now.

"WILL YOU SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH?!" His fist connected with the wall beside Beth and she let out a terrified shout.

They both fell silent as they looked at each other. Beth's eyes were filled with fear and betrayal, her mouth had formed a soft 'o' shape and goosepimples dotted her skin. Daryl was panting heavily, feeling only a dull ache in his hand though he suspected he'd broken it and he leaned his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.

"I … 'Aint lettin' you get close." The shame Daryl felt twisted its way into his words, making his voice a lot huskier than it usually was.

"It's not your choice." The only reason Daryl heard her was because he was leaning so close to her. Daryl could hear her breathing too, fast and ragged.

"Elizabeth." Daryl's voice changed again, developing from being filled with regret to dark with warning.

"You know what, Daryl? I think you should just go. You're clearly not the person I thought you were." Beth pushed against him and he reluctantly moved aside.

She was gone by the time he sank to the floor.

Beth hadn't actually moved too far from Daryl, she'd quickly ran behind the back of the building where she allowed herself to sit on the floor and cry. She'd told him to go fuck himself and it was so out of character she hardly believed she actually said it. Beth didn't mean to be a clingy girlfriend- no wait, not even that, but watching Daryl regress to Merle's level had just made her so _mad. _Merle was a person that Beth was extremely fond of, but his vision of what Daryl should be like was entirely warped, according to him Daryl should show no weakness and talk to down to anyone who defied him and with a heavy heart, Beth realised Daryl was living up to Merle's expectations.

"Are you alright there, Beth, isn't it?" Her thoughts disappeared into a cloud of smoke when a kind voice spoke to her.

Beth rubbed her eyes furiously, ensuring the tears were gone. If Dale found out she'd been crying she was sure he'd tell her parents and she would be forced to quit. As her eyes travelled upwards she realised this man was actually rather good looking, from what she could make out in the weak light he had brown hair and a strong jawline, very good looking indeed. Would definitely make Daryl jealous.

"Uh … I am. How did you know my name?"

"I was hired as a bodyguard to look after you?" The man was nervous as he spoke, his head lowered slightly from her view.

"Well, thank you it was nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"I don't ever tell people my name, but for a beautiful woman such as yourself I'll tell you," The man chuckled playfully, but as he lifted his head Beth saw an eye patch covering one of his eyes. "Phillip. My name is Phillip."

**AN- Hey guys, I've been rewriting this chapter for ages! Things are slowly starting to pick up now though. This chapter feels slightly messy and I've felt really dissatisfied with my writing at the minute, my sentence structure is so repetitive! I love hearing back from you guys though, so let me know what you thought!**


	5. Engraved Forever

**AN- Hi there! Apologies for the lack of updates I'm doing a summer programme which leaves me with literally **_**no**_** time to do anything! Because of this, I'll probably have to suspend 'The Arrow Inside You' if anyone is interested! I had such heavy writers block too, but seeing all the Comic Con that I had to carry on writing. I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, the next will definitely make up for it!**

**So a lot of you are mad at Daryl and Beth, which is good. I feel like the two characters are seen as whole hearted, good people and their bad traits are only glossed over in the show. We know Daryl has a dark past and a bad side to him, but we never know if he struggles with keeping himself in check, whereas Beth is just all around kind. Yes, she can be a distant and cold, but we've never seen maliciously go out to hurt someone as far as I'm aware. I feel like flirting with and/or getting close to someone else is something Beth would do to get back at someone, so here goes.**

Beth went on three dates with Phillip over the next month or so. She enjoyed his company, he was smart and polite and was always certain to make sure she was comfortable which, unfortunately for her, was the problem. She wasn't comfortable around him. They got on extremely well, but Beth couldn't help but notice the look in his eye he would get when something happened that he didn't like. At his house there was always a phone call waiting that was discussed in hushed whispers so she couldn't hear. Despite this, Beth decided to work on it, it's not like they were in a relationship or anything, was it?

"Why don't you meet my work colleagues?" Phillip asked, stroking a piece of Beth's hair from her face, he was full of gentle touches and soft kisses which surprised her, he didn't seem like that type.

"When?" Beth frowned, it seemed he had memorised her work timetable off by heart too, but she just passed it off as her being overdramatic.

"An hour or so?" He laughed as he saw the horror on Beth's face, she had hardly any time to go home and get ready. "It's nothing special, probably a game night."

Beth relaxed and nodded slightly, why not? As long as she didn't play she didn't see it being a problem. She could almost see her daddy's reaction at her gambling and she stifled a laugh.

"I'll go pick up some stuff then?" She smiled slightly and leaned forward to kiss his forehead.

As Beth wandered around the town's local store, picking up drinks and snacks for later on her mind subconsciously shifted to Daryl. She hadn't seen him since the night she met Phillip. He'd stopped frequenting the bar, he didn't respond to her calls and when she had driven up the path to his house Merle always greeted her, waiting to tell her how his baby brother wasn't home. It had taken a week for her anger at him to subside, but when it did she was filled with a harrowing ache that made every inch of her body sore so she numbed the pain with Phillip.

Yes, she knew it was wrong but she was fairly certain he was using her too. Beth wasn't quite sure what he was using her for yet, but she knew it was for something. Why else would he be interested in her? He had a successful business, a nice house and despite his age she found him ruggedly handsome.

When Beth arrived back at Philip's she was stunned to discover the gang that had threatened her had taken residence in her sort-of-boyfriend's home.

"Beth!" Phillip almost glided over to her, knowing all eyes in the room were focused on the pair in the middle of the room. "Everyone, meet my girlfriend." And with that, he gently pressed his lips to her cheek and Beth knew that she had gotten herself involved in something she couldn't handle.

Daryl watched from the corner of the room, taking a swig of the bitter liquid that sat in front of him. With every sip the pain that surrounded his heart slowly ebbed away and he could feel his confidence grow more and more in his drunken haze.

He would be lying if he said he didn't know why he had cut off contact with poor little Beth Greene. She was … Well, a kid and this 'gang' or whatever it was, it was too dangerous for her to be around. No one understood his relationship with Merle, least of all Beth. She saw things in black and white, while she liked Merle she knew he was bad news and maybe, just maybe Daryl was good news. But if he had to choose between Merle and some girl he barely knew, it would be Merle. Merle every time. Blood was blood, Daryl liked to believe there were thousands of blonde girls with cerulean doe eyes just like Beth Greene dotted about the world, but he simply couldn't.

Daryl finally ripped his eyes away from the scene. 'Phillip' was his boss, he had heard Beth call him that but to everyone else in the entourage he was known as 'The Governor' and it suited him. He wasn't bossy, but he was ruthless and knew what he wanted. Daryl knew that if he fucked up there would be no second chance and this was the best money he'd had in ages, besides its not like he'd done jobs that were _slightly_ illegal before anyway.

Beth had seen Daryl the moment Phillip had kissed her cheek, but it wasn't his lips that had sent her stomach into an array of butterflies. She barely knew Daryl, but she felt inexplicably drawn to him. She felt his eyes watch her the whole night, whenever she looked up there he was, his blue orbs burning into her own. She felt like she needed to talk to him, but every time she made an attempt to go near him he walked away to busy himself.

By his seventh drink Daryl felt confident enough to take on Beth. He made sure everyone was engrossed in their game before quickly grabbing her wrist and hauling her upstairs.

"Miss me?" The image of the last night they spoke burned in his memory as he realised they were standing in the exact positions of that night, with her against the wall and him standing close to her.

"Daryl, you're drunk. I'd rather talk when you're sober." Daryl could tell she was uncomfortable, but there wasn't much he could do about that. He had to talk to her.

"Jus' lemme talk." He was vaguely aware that he was slurring his words, but he pressed on. "I missed ya."

"Right," Beth scoffed. "That's why you wouldn' return my calls? You stopped goin' to the bar?" Her blonde hair obscured her as face slightly as she shook her head and it occurred to Daryl that this was the first time he had seen her with her hair down.

"'Cause," he held her neck gently and as he made sure he wasn't scaring her he swore he felt her relax into his touch. "I told'ya before. I 'aint this good guy you seem to think I am. I 'aint this hero, 'aint even a good man, not really. An' what … The Goven- Phillip does … It 'aint right for me to get'ya mixed up in it all. I won't let myself drag you down. I told you once tha' I weren't gonna let you sink, ya remember tha'?"

Beth felt him search her eyes desperately, as though trying to transfer all the things he couldn't say and she was overwhelmed with so much emotion that her eyes filled with tears and she gently let her eyelids flicker closed as she leant her forehead against his.

"I remember," was all she needed to say. "I remember, Daryl. I remember."

"Good." He stroked her neck with his thumbs gently and felt her breath hitch slightly. "So you gotta understand why I can't drag'ya into this?" His voice was wracked in pain the words came out as barely a whisper, but Beth heard him as though he had just screamed the sentence from the rooftops.

With a gentle nod she buried her head in his shoulder and gasped as he encircled her in his arms. It was moments like this that made her somewhat thankful that Daryl wasn't a big fan of physical contact, because his embrace sent fireworks rocket through her body and she knew that this feeling would be engraved in her memory forever.


	6. I Am Not My Sister

**AN - Thanks so much for the replies, it really encourages me to write faster though sometimes it doesn't seem it! Reviews are always welcome :)**

**I'm sorry it's such a short chapter guys and it's been so long but I'm back from holiday so I should be updating a lot more!**

Daryl wasn't sure how much time had elapsed when Beth mumbled about how she had to be getting back to the game, but he knew, even in his drunken haze that their friendship was about to get a _whole _lot more complicated.

"Stay." The tone of his voice made it sound like a command, but he meant it as a request.

"I can't, Daryl," a conflicted sigh escaped her lips. "Look ... At first ... It was all just this ... Ploy to get back at you for the way you treated me at the bar, you know?" She felt ashamed of it even now. "My daddy always told me we have jobs to do, can't go on whinin' all the time." As another sigh found it's way past her lips she tilted her head, pleading for him to understand. "So I decided to, I don't know, try a different tactic? Hurt people instead of being' hurt myself, but that wasn't me. I'm not that girl. I'm beyond datin' people to hurt others."

"I don't know-" Daryl began, her words were laced with emotion and he wasn't sure he could deal with it in his drunken state.

"Please." She gently raised a finger, letting him know she wasn't finished talking. "Phillip is good for me." She sighed for a third time, this one was so wracked with uncertainty that Daryl thought her lungs might burst. "And I'm goin' to make it work between us."

Her words hung in the air for a few somber seconds as Daryl processed her them. They churned and rolled in his head. She was choosing Phillip, not that he had made a request for her to stay with him, but she didn't understand what type of guy The Governor was, the things he did.

"I hope we can still be friends." And then she was gone.

Beth wasn't sure what had made her switch so fast. Yes, she had wanted Daryl but the way he spoke to her ... It was the kind of tone that makes you feel like the person who said them only wanted to protect you but as you begin to mull it over you realise they were just patronising you and that's not the person she thought Daryl was. Then again, she didn't think she was the sort of person to date another person out of revenge, perhaps she had changed since … What happened in that bar.

Then, as she walked past Phillip's room and went downstairs with the gnawing feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach that only could have been for Daryl, she realised something. She had been more than patient with the youngest Dixon, more than kind. How many times had she been kind to him and how many times had he returned that kindness? That's why she had tried to hurt him through Phillip and that was why she realised she wanted to make things work with him.

Phillip wasn't using her, he wasn't nasty like her. He was a busy man, a respected man, some kind of hero amongst those in Woodbury and she was blessed to have him. She had been uncomfortable around him because she was so obsessed with Daryl. She sighed and took her place next to Phillip and smiled gently, pushing back the feeling of uncertainty to the back of her mind.

After what seemed like centuries, Daryl stumbled back downstairs. Every person in the room turned to look at him, except Beth. He wasn't a love sick puppy, 'specially over some bitch who didn't know what the fuck she was getting into. No, he wasn't going to be that guy, so he did what he always did. He walked over to Merle and got so drunk he couldn't remember passing out.

Beth tried her best to ignore the two Dixons, but the more they drew laughs from the crowd the harder it was to pretend that it didn't bother her. She hoped Phillip didn't see her, but she knew he had by the way he continued to glance at her throughout the night.

"Everythin' alright?" He murmured close to her, making her smile. He could be so considerate sometimes.

"Of course," she leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. "I'm goin' to get some more drinks, is that okay?"

Phillip gave her a curt nod and she quickly walked to the kitchen, filling up a glass of water. Everything was so confusing, her feelings towards Daryl changed by the second and it made her head hurt. Yes, she had cared about him in a way that she hadn't thought possible, but she had also been patient with him and kind. She tried to think about the things he must have gone through which made him so detached and cold, but she remembered that night in the cabin, so she knew he was capable of actually showing feelings towards her.

Perhaps she had to look deeper, find something else. He had told her how he couldn't let himself bring her into his problem, but why was that? Had she asked? She set the glass back down on the counter in frustration and sighed. She still wanted Daryl as a friend, she still wanted to help him.

Her father had always said that her kindness was her best and worst trait. She remembered a story her father told her from when she was little. Herschel said that she had been no more than five when one of the family friends came round bringing their somewhat reckless son. Beth had tried her best to play with him, despite him ripping the head off of one of her dolls, she had merely shrugged and suggested they played something else. She hadn't minded when he told her that her dress was ugly and she didn't cry when he pushed into the dirt and told her it was where she belonged. Herschel told her that that was the day he realised his youngest child had more compassion in her five year old body than he would ever know.

When Beth was struggling to figure out the right path, she reflected back to that story. She wouldn't cut off Daryl from her life, but she had to try and keep Phillip in the picture too. She liked Phillip so why, why, why couldn't she shake this uncomfortable feeling from her gut?

Beth sighed and turned away to rejoin the party when she walked into Phillip.

"Oh," She smiled softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "I was just comin' back."

"Elizabeth," Beth couldn't help but notice the tone of his voice as he spoke to her. It sounded as rough as sandpaper and felt almost the same in texture on her ear drums. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't be." She smiled, but the growing feeling of uncertainty kept swirling around in the pit of her stomach.

"But, Elizabeth," Phillip sighed a deep, heavy sigh as his thumb slowly traced Beth's jawline and her hair stood on end. "I have a feeling you've got eyes for another man." He stepped closer and Beth was pressed against the sink.

Memories of the night with Ed flooded her brain and she felt her throat being to close with panic, her palms began to sweat and all she could think of doing was pushing him away from her.

"Phillip …" Beth's voice strained to be heard, but she persisted in talking. "Please, I need some space."

"Are you not going to deny it?"

"We …" A deep inhale of breath. "We might have had something, but not anymore. I promise."

Phillip gave her a small area of space which she wanted to wrap around her like a security blanket.

"Do you know what I do, Elizabeth?" Phillip looked at her and Beth saw concern fill his eyes.

"You're a bodyguard, but that's a side job because you have a successful business. Your …. The people who work for you, they … Were the ones who attacked me."

"Oh please," Phillip scoffed at her words and to Beth it felt like a betrayal. "It was hardly an attack. Do you know _why _they 'attacked' you?"

"No …" She murmured. "I don't like where this is going, Phillip."

"No, regrettably, neither do I." Phillip leaned his forehead on hers, but it didn't feel the same as Daryl. It didn't feel safe. "Let me explain to you what I do. I supply drugs and your _darling_ Daryl there works for me. You know why they attacked you? Because I wanted them to. You know why you're dating me? Because I wanted you to. As soon as you become invaluable to me, you're finished."

The realisation hit Beth like a train. She felt uncomfortable because he was manipulating her, she was so stupid. So, so, so stupid. But she felt brave, she was better than Phillip, she was better than this.

"I am not my sister, _Phillip, _but I am strong. I am better than you and this and I am leaving." Beth shoved him from her and made her way from him, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her back to the living room and sat with her at the table.

"What are you-" Beth began, but Phillip smiled softly and looked at his cohorts. Well, the ones that were conscious.

"Listen up! Beth here, is _very _important in my plans, extremely important in fact. If you find out she has told anyone anything about us, me, what we do your head will be next. And Beth, darling." He pressed his lips to her forehead softly. "If you decide to do anything that could be detrimental to me, I will dismember every single person who takes residence in your home, understand?"

In any other circumstance, Beth wouldn't believe a word he said to her, but the way his eyes burned into hers and the grip of his hand on her thigh made her squirm into her seat and she knew, she just knew that he was telling the truth. She imagined what her father would think as he walked home and saw his wife cut into pieces, blank eyes staring up at him. She thought about the pitch of Maggie's scream as she saw her older brother's hand on the door mat and Beth knew that this would be all her fault.

"Do you understand?" Phillip addressed the room, but she knew the question was to her and she gave a small nod.

What on earth had she gotten herself into?


	7. That Had Become Their Thing

Daryl awoke the next morning splayed across a sofa with a pounding headache. Reluctantly he pulled himself up, his shoulders and the back of his neck stuck to the leather of the seat in the early morning heat. With his head throbbing and his throat dry he trudged through the lounge, hardly raising his feet to step over other unconscious men in the room. A low moan escaped his lips as he caught a glance of the morning sun.

"Lookin' for somethin'?" He heard a voice behind him. Beth's voice.

"Aspirin."

By the way she rummaged through cupboards, Daryl was sure she didn't actually know where it was but he glugged at the water she gave him and barely noticed the tablet he swallowed.

"Did you have a good night?" Daryl studied her eyes. They flickered nervously around the room, barely setting on his for more than a few seconds. She was scared.

"What's happened?" He spoke slowly with his finger on his lip, clearly in deep concentration.

"I'm sure your boss will tell you." Beth smiled softly and it made Daryl uncomfortable, he wasn't used to seeing her with such a sad smile. She drummed her hands on the kitchen unit and sighed. "I'll see you later." Beth made her way back to the lounge to tidy and it left Daryl reeling.

After a quick meeting with The Governor to explain what he had missed, Daryl left the house in his pickup. As he drove with the wind blowing through his hair he wondered how Beth would cope with all of this, if she could cope with of all of this. The further away he drove the more he realised it was his fault for actually putting her in danger, after all it was he who had threatened her, made her run into The Governor in the first place. Then again, perhaps it would have happened anyway and he had just sped up the process. It seemed like his boss was going to use Beth, what had he said? She was very important to his plans?

Without even knowing it, Daryl found himself on the Greene's drive. He had to see her and let her know that he was going to be there for her. It wasn't until he reached the front door that he realised how bad of an idea this had been. He was still wearing the clothes from the night before, a white vest with a plaid shirt over the top and a pair of faded blue jeans tucked into his combat boots, but it wasn't like he could turn back now. He quickly glanced at his mussed hair and grimaced as he tried to slick down the few wispy hairs that refused to comply. He hadn't shaved recently either and he was growing some thick stubble around his jaw.

"Grea'." He murmured and and knocked on the door.

The swung open and there stood Maggie Greene, fire in her eyes and anger in her heart.

"You." Maggie stepped onto the porch and shut the door behind her. "What do you think you're doin' playin' Beth around like that?" Her hands rested defiantly on her hips and Daryl noted that her accent was much thicker than Beth's.

"Wha'? I 'aint been-" He began to defend himself but the words that tumbled from his mouth came out in sputters and stutters.

"Shut up. Don't talk. You know how much she liked you? You were the first guy she ever tol' me abou'. You know tha'?"

"No …" His previous anger had been knocked out of his system and was replaced by a sinking feeling of disappointment. So she _had _felt something for him, but no he always had to worry, didn't he? Worry about Merle and work, never worrying about himself.

"Well, until Phillip anyway." Maggie was sure to lace every word in a toxic venom as she hurled them at him, she had no qualms about whether Daryl had a thing for Beth, she knew he had. He had just been too chicken to actually confront his feelings.

"I heard." Daryl's voice was thick with ice and his fists clenched slightly. He thought he had better control of his emotions, but apparently not.

"Then you'd understand she was happy, so y'can leave now." And with that Maggie turned on her heel and went inside, slamming the door shut in his face.

As Daryl walked back to the pick up he saw Beth walking down the drive rummaging through her bag, no doubt trying to find her keys..

"Beth …!" Daryl called, his voice hoarse. He quickly cleared his throat and jogged to her.

"Daryl." Beth stopped looking through her bag and looked up at him, her heart pounding in her ears.

"I know everythin' Beth, I know everythin'." Daryl heaved a sigh and shook his head slightly. "You see why I din't want t'get you involved?" He held out his arms to show defeat.

Instead of replying, Beth threw her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. and Daryl snaked his arms around her waist and held her tight.

"What do I do, Daryl?"

"I wish … I wish I knew."

"He'll kill them."

"He 'aint gonna do that."

"You know what he said-"

"I 'aint gonna let it happen."

Beth pulled away to look at Daryl and all of a sudden the distance felt closed between them. She could feel his breath on her face and her heart fluttered at the feel of his hand on her waist. Her breath caught in her throat as Daryl leant his forehead against hers, something that had become their 'thing' and brushed his lips gently against hers.

"Daryl." She weakly pushed against his chest, she couldn't do this no matter how much she wanted it. "I can't … Not when he's threatenin' me like this. Not when he's threatenin' you."

This threat came as news to him, but it seemed to click. The Governor knew how he felt about her, he fucking knew.

"What d'ya mean?" He pulled back slightly, but it he wanted he could still rest his chin on the top of her head if he wanted to.

"When … When we went to bed, he told me that the people he'd hurt included you." Beth's words hung in the air for a few minutes as he mulled them over. "Look, can we just go somewhere? I hate the idea of being so close to them." Beth nodded at the house and he understood.

"But y'can face bein' near me?" He smirked and opened the door of his truc for her to get in.

A grin found it's way to Beth's face and she quickly got in the truck.

"Anywhere y'wanted t'go?" Daryl glanced over at her as she sat shotgun, but he already knew.

Beth sat on the edge of Daryl's bed in the cabin as he had a shower and thought about what had actually happened. She was stuck in a relationship with Phillip, what kind of name was Phillip anyway? Her family was in danger and she was a pawn in a game she didn't even want to play. So much for some game night.

Beth heard the bathroom door unlock, the cabin seemed much bigger now that she had time to look around and she hadn't even noticed the bathroom or the small kitchen in the far corner. Her eyes rested upon the crossbow on the desk and she tentatively went over to it, weapons were never really her thing. She had never enjoyed them and didn't plan to now, however the crossbow _was_ impressive.

"Y'like it?" Beth jumped and turned around and saw Daryl stood by his bed. She noted he was already dressed in a baggy tshirt and another pair of jeans, his feet were bare.

"Not really … I just, don't really like weapons." Beth smiled weakly and went into the shower. She'd just wear the clothes she'd worn last night.

The shower was surprisingly powerful for something that existed in the middle of the woods, but she relished it anyway. She couldn't shake the image of a freshly washed Daryl out of her head. His hair had been slicked back and his jaw was prominent as ever from his shave.

After realising she'd spent nearly half an hour showering, Beth quickly got out and changed before meeting Daryl in the lounge. He was sat at the desk cleaning the crossbow.

"You headin' out?" Beth inquired as she sat on the edge of Daryl's bed again, watching the way his back muscles strained through his tshirt as he cleaned.

"Nah, I just like t'clean her." He noted, giving a small shrug. "You're a veggie anyway, 'aint you?" He frowned, leaning round in the chair to look at her.

Beth laughed and gave a small nod, there was so much of Merle in that sentence that she couldn't help but laugh.

"Somethin' funny?" Daryl raised an eyebrow and stood up from the chair, a small smirk played about on his lips.

"No…" Beth smirked back at him and the butterflies in her stomach soared.

"Why're you laughin' then?" Daryl took a step towards her and kept the smirk.

"You sounded like Merle." Beth laughed again and inched back on the bed.

"I sounded like _Merle_?" A look of disgust found it's way to his features and he couldn't find a way to hide it.

This only made Beth laugh harder, she thought he'd quite like to be compared to Merle.

Daryl laid on the bed beside her and tugged her ponytail gently to pull her down next to him without hurting her of course.

"You couldn't have just asked?" Beth smiled and shook her head before nestling herself against Daryl again.

"Nah, girls like the bad boys anyway." Came his retort.

"Is that why they prefer Merle?" Beth tried to hide her laugh and failed miserably.

"Ha, you're funny." Daryl pretended to laugh and nudged her gently.

However he didn't judge how hard he had knocked her and she fell from the bed and pulled him with her, he caught himself quickly and held himself above her on his forearms.

"My bad." He offered as an apology, his cheeks went red.

"Daryl?" Beth sighed and smiled softly as she watched the red tint in his cheeks.

"Beth?" He replied and quickly leaned to the side, putting all his weight on one side of his body as he ran a hand through his hair, he then moved back over her.

"This is the happiest I've been in a long time."

Daryl understood, but he didn't have the heart to tell her it would be the last time she would be happy for a long time.


	8. How On Earth He'd Been So Lucky

**AN- Thanks guys for the lovely welcome back. I received a question from **_**goshbirdie **_**who asked if 'going to bed' meant having sex as it was unclear. I contemplated that whilst writing it, but no Beth and The Governor didn't have sex. Since Beth was threatened by him and wasn't sure of how she felt for him I feel like it would have been completely out of character for her. But thanks for the question and the lovely review!**

**I'm also experimenting with AO3 at the minute where my new story 'Melancholia' can be found. I've also uploaded it on here though, so don't worry if you're not a fan of that site!**

**If you haven't seen it yet, I've posted a new story called 'Melancholia' which takes place at the end of Season 4. It's only one chapter at the minute because I'm not sure whether people would want to read on or not, so if you lovely guys could check it out and give me some feedback, that would be great!**

**Mealncholia: **** s/10643801/1/Melancholia**

Daryl and Beth lay on the carpet, much like they had a month previously in a blissful silence. Just feeling the other's presence was enough for their hearts to pound and their palms to sweat, but both tried to play it cool until finally Daryl spoke.

"What are we gonna do 'bout him." Daryl wasn't sure whether to use The Governor's name or not, he wasn't sure as to how Beth would respond.

"I stay with him, let him use me for whatever he wants to use me for then hope he lets me leave him." Beth exhaled deeply and ran turned to look at Daryl.

She was smiling sadly and Daryl hated that more than seeing her cry. He hated seeing her trying to be strong for him when she was sad. He felt like a wimp for feeling like that, but she shouldn't have to try and please him, it wouldn't change how he viewed her. He was still going to protect her. Her cerulean eyes were filled with tears so he just pulled her to him, unable to construe a sentence that might make her feel better.

"Y'know what you need?" Daryl murmured against her freshly washed hair, despite using his shampoo she still smelled of cinnamon and some kind of berry.

"What?" Beth risked a glance up at him, she didn't want him to see she had been crying, though he'd probably felt her crying against him.

"Work, y'know Merle will be there." Daryl smirked slightly as he saw smile spread across her face. He knew Merle liked the girl, he didn't even want to fuck her. He'd confessed to Daryl in a drunken state that Beth was like a little sister.

"I didn't get to see him last night …" Beth considered, but it didn't take long for her to agree.

"I know, he weren't impressed." Daryl got up from the rug and held out his hand to her to pull her up.

An hour or so later, the pair were driving to Dale's bar with the radio up, windows down and their hair blowing in the rapid wind. Beth was laughing hard as she put her head out the window, they were driving down a long stretch of road so it didn't really matter. Daryl watched, entranced by the way her light blonde hair flapped in the wind, but still framed her face at all the right angles and the way her laugh tinkled through the air between them and actually spread a real smile to his own features. He wiped it off before she could see, of course.

As he pulled up Daryl made sure that The Governor's car wasn't parked. When he saw that he wasn't he let Beth out and escorted her inside. Dale seemed pleased to see Beth, he didn't even notice she was with Daryl, or if he did he didn't say anything.

Beth ran quickly to Dale and hugged him so tight Daryl thought the old man would have a heart attack right then and there. Thankfully, he didn't and simply patted her back as he smiled fondly.

"What's up baby brother?" Merle nudged Daryl with his shoulder as he walked in, but there was nothing playful about it. His entire demeanour suggested that he should follow, so stupidly he did.

"I hope you 'aint thinkin' of fuckin' over the boss man." Merle's head tilted slightly as he spoke, his thumbs were laced through his belt loops and he rocked slightly on the balls of his feet as he spoke.

"I'm makin' sure she aint gonna tell anyone." Daryl was surprised at how easy it was to lie to his brother, he was even more surprised at how well the lie was.

"Hm. I 'aint gonna save your ass little brother." Merle noted as he watched Beth talk to Tyreese and Dale.

Daryl couldn't help but laugh. Since he could fucking walk he had been clearing up Merle's mess and now, when someone more important than Merle came along he would fuck him straight over if it meant getting his drugs.

Daryl was about to respond when the whole bar went silent. Confused, Daryl turned and saw his father walk in. Too stunned to move the youngest Dixon watched in awe as the seemingly frail man shuffled over to the bar next to Beth.

Games had stopped, chatter trailed off and _everyone_ stared. It had been so long since anyone apart from his sons had seen him, but here he was walking around as though people hadn't wondered if he was dead or not.

"I recognise you." It was clear Will Dixon was drunk already as he pointed a shaking finger at Beth who's eyes were wide orbs that didn't know where to look.

"Yeah, you do … I'm Beth Greene." Beth extended her hand for the elderly man to shake, she was sure he wasn't even that old but years of alcohol abuse had distorted his features apart from his eyes which still burned with disgust and hatred.

"Hershel's kid." Will spat on the floor next to her and Beth had to step back quickly to avoid being hit.

"Hey." A new voice entered the fray and the bar tensed when they saw it was Daryl.

"You say somethin' boy?" The man's voice rung out through the silent bar.

"Leave her alone." There was no reason for him to be afraid of his father, he could snap the prick like a twig. The only reason he hadn't was for Merle. Merle, for some god foresaken reason hadn't wanted to hurt his poor old pops when he laid a hand on his eldest son who was at the ripe old age of twenty two. Instead he let him hit him, explaining that the old man's hits didn't even hurt anymore, despite the angry bruise that raised only an hour later.

The air was thick with tension as Will Dixon hobbled over to his youngest son, their eyes never leaving the other. Daryl wasn't about to hit his old man in a bar, but when they got home … Daryl was already seeing red, couldn't help it. Beth was only ever kind, sweet, polite, innocent and if he had failed protecting her from The Governor he wasn't about to fail protecting her from this scum.

"You talk like your momma. 'Aint gonna do shit though, are ya?" His accent was so thick it would be difficult for someone new to the area to understand it, but this was the voice Daryl had feared for so many years and he wasn't about to let it stop him now.

"Shut your mouth." Daryl's voice was all but a growl as he stared down his father, but the look in his eye was what made him lose it. "You 'aint ever done _shit _for me! You 'aint done shit! You know who raised me? Merle. You know who shoulda died in that fire? You." He was now talking at a whisper, a fire rising in the pit of his stomach told him to carry on talking. "You ever raise a hand to her or me or Merle ever again and I will _kill _you."

Dary turned to walk away but was greeted with a punch in the jaw from Merle. Beth was by his side immediately.

"We should go …" Beth whispered so only he could hear.

If it had been any other circumstance Daryl would have walked away, but he couldn't with so much rage inside him. He threw all his weight behind the punch that connected with Merle's nose and it moments the two were on the floor, pummeling all sense out of each other. This went on for five minutes or so before Tyreese, Officer Grimes and Officer Walsh stepped in. Tyreese held Merle and Grimes and Walsh held Daryl steady.

"Let's go take a drive, Dixon." Officer Shane Walsh wrestled Daryl with the help of Rick Grimes into the back of his car, but much to his surprise Beth ran out after him.

"I need to go with him." Rick and Shane exchanged glances before speaking quietly between themselves. Clearly, Shane didn't want her in the car but Rick disagreed; he nodded at Beth.

Beth took her place next to Daryl and again, to his surprise, she held his hand tightly and delicately ran her thumb over the top of his bleeding knuckles.

Daryl looked at her, and not for the first time, wondered how on earth he had been so lucky.


	9. Fight

**AN - Hey guys! Man, I've been so excited to write more now! I hope you're all enjoying my stories as much as I enjoy writing them!**

The cheap, plastic clock that hung upon the bare whitewashed wall struck 4:00 and Beth Greene struggled to keep her eyes open. The cells were quiet, bar the sound of Rick and Shane's hushed arguments as to whether or not to send her home, so quiet that she could hear the ticking of the clock in front of her.

"Don't I get my one call?" Daryl's forehead rested on the bars and every time they had tried to talk Shane had quickly shushed them, so now he was taking the sarcastic route.

"You 'aint been charged with anythin', Dixon." Shane rolled his eyes, clearly swallowing Daryl's bait.

"So I can go?" Beth watched as his lips twisted into a mischievous smirk and his fingers wrapped around the bars of his cell.

"Don't make me shut you up." Shane's response was so weak that Daryl actually laughed in his face, Beth cringed.

"Don't let him wind you up." Rick intervened, but his head was buried in papers and he was obviously trying not to laugh at how quickly his best friend lost his temper.

The cells actually looked like something from the movies, Beth thought. There was another guy in the cell opposite Daryl, but Beth couldn't see who it was, it didn't seem to matter because judging by the snores coming from within the occupant was asleep.

"But do I get my one call?" Daryl inquired, his head tilted to the side so Beth knew he was being genuine.

"Yes, Daryl. You do." Rick waved Shane off. "It's 4AM Shane, just let him make his call."

So Daryl was escorted to a separate room with one lone phone booth. He quickly dialled the number under the watchful eye of Shane and was back in less than five minutes. Daryl winked at Beth as he was pushed back into his cell and she couldn't help but think about when they ran into each other at the bookstore, she liked that Daryl a lot. Even if he did tend to get himself arrested.

However, much to her surprise, Carol walked through the doors with Sophia in tow. Beth frowned slightly, how had she known Daryl was here? She quickly faced Daryl and it was clear in his face who he had called.

"I'm sorry, Little Greene." Daryl held up his hands in defeat and waved softly at her. "I'll be here if y'feel like breakin' the law." He flashed a smile and it actually took Beth's breath away and she was suddenly overwhelmed with such an affection for him that she went up to the bars and kissed him as well as she could.

"My daddy's gonna kill me." Beth smiled gently as they broke apart.

"That's why I called Carol." Daryl nodded once. "Only the best for'ya."

"Oh, my knight in shinin' armour." Beth rolled her eyes, but couldn't wipe the stupid grin off of her face as she got in the car after Carol.

"Where am I dropping you, sweetheart?" Carol quickly glanced at her daughter who was asleep in the back before turning back to Beth.

"Just at my-" But with a heavy sigh, she realised she hadn't checked in with Phillip. So she quickly gave the address to Carol.

"Are you sure?" Obviously, she knew who Phillip was then.

"He's my boyfriend." Beth shrugged slightly. "I should see him."

"At 4AM?" Carol raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Yeah, he'll be awake." Beth was finding it hard to lie, they way Carol looked at her … It was like she knew _everything_ that had happened over the last few weeks.

"If you're sure." Carol turned to where Beth told her and within minutes they were outside Phillip's house, the lights were on.

"Thanks, for everythin'." Beth offered a small smile to the woman and kissed her cheek once.

"Beth?" Carol called out quietly after her.

"Yeah?" Beth smiled and got out of the car, Carol held her hand tight.

"You need anyone, you call me. Okay?" Carol smiled too, Beth understood what it meant now. It was like a secret that people who had suffered abuse knew and it looked like she had 'joined the club'.

"Of course." Beth gave the older woman's hand a reassuring squeeze before going into Phillip's home.

Her plan was to slip upstairs unnoticed and crawl into bed, but Phillip was sat on the sofa infront of her, swilling an amber liquid around his glass.

"I heard you got into quite the argument." Phillip turned slightly to look at the petite blonde, he smirked slightly and took a long swig of his drink.

"I was at work." Her voice was so strong bullets would have bounced off of it, Daryl would have been proud of her.

"For all of five minutes. Come on now." Phillip stood up, rubbing his thighs to straighten out the creases of his trousers.

"I was at the prison." Beth licked her lips, there was no way she could know how he would react.

"With Daryl?" He took a step towards her and she instinctively took a step back.

"With Daryl." Beth confirmed and watched Phillip carefully, his eye studied her intently. His look sweeped up and down her body, sending a shiver down her spine.

"That's interesting," Phillip nodded and mulled over his next words. "Come here."

"No." The word slipped between her lips before she could even think about what she said.

"Excuse me?" Phillip laughed slightly, raising his eyebrows. "What did you say?"

"I said no." Beth's jaw clenched so tight she was sure she was grinding her teeth to stubs.

"I didn't want to do this, Elizabeth." Phillip sighed and held out a hand for her to hold, but in an instant, whilst she was distracted, his hand was knotted in her hair and her back was pressed against his knee. "Are you going to give me an apology?"

"Go fuck yourself." The hair was heavy around her now, but Phillip was smiling.

"I admire your guts, Elizabeth." Phillip let her stand and held her shoulders to steady her and Beth savoured the small victory. "But lets see how much you can withstand."

Beth lasted 17 minutes of relentless kicking and punching. Granted, at first they didn't hurt at all, he wasn't kicking or punching her hard, but it didn't take long before she realised he was hurting the same place, over and over. If she went to the hospital it would just be assumed she had fallen over and hurt herself, it was quite clever really, Beth thought with dismay. She was fairly certain her collarbone was broken, but she didn't want to expect the worst, so when she looked in the mirror a sinking feeling filled her stomach as she prodded and pressed and was reduced to tears. Her hip wasn't much better either, it was a mix between black and purple now already and they weren't about to fade anytime soon.

After staring at herself in the mirror for a good hour after the attack ended, Beth realised that if she was going to survive this she was going to have to play it smart. Don't be rebellious, act meek like he would expect of you and behind the scenes plan an attack, be _smart_. There was no way her family was dying because she had been too stubborn to be quiet and she knew that he could kill them at any time, she wasn't stupid.

Daryl had told her that she could sink or swim, this was the perfect example. She could sink, she could give up and tell her parents everything and hope for the best or she could swim. She could play Phillip's game, she could outsmart him easily. He didn't expect much from her and she intended to keep it that way, for sure.

She wasn't like Maggie, who was so fiery Phillip would have lost three fingers the first time he touched her, she wasn't Carol, who could endure endless amounts of suffering, but she was _Beth_. And Beth Greene would have to fight if she wanted to make it through this chapter of her life alive.


	10. Learned Your Lesson?

**AN - Hey guys! It's actually occurred to me that I haven't actually put up the song that inspired me to write this fic. The song is called 'Crystalised' by the xx and you can find it here: **** watch?v=CTG4pwOlHmg**

**Enjoy!**

Daryl was reluctantly released from his cell in the morning when Merle came down to pick him up in Daryl's beaten pickup. The eldest Dixon brother wasn't impressed with the actions of his baby brother, but even so, family was family and he wasn't going to be the first Dixon to let a family member sink. He supposed it was why he defended his father, because he was family even if he hadn't much acted like it. Merle was afraid of his daddy, even now. Thinking about the old man threw him through a tunnel of memories he would rather forget.

"Learnt y'lesson?" Merle glanced at Daryl, they were both battered and bruised from the beatings they had given one another. When he saw that Daryl wasn't smiling, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Wha'? Y'still hung up over little Greene?" Merle spat out the window beside him of him because it was obviously so much easier to do that than to swallow his own saliva.

"Don't talk abou' her like y'know her." Daryl retorted, immediately on the defensive. His fists were clenched around the wheel and his eyes were filled with warning.

"Alrigh'." Merle held up his hands in defeat; when had his brother gotten so damn soft?

"I'm goin' out." Daryl had driven home, after all, Merle had picked him up in _his _truck, he looked over at his brother and waited for him to vacate the vehicle.

"Oh, this is how y'repay me?" Merle spat out the window again and got out, slamming shut the door harder than necessary.

Daryl watched as Merle disappeared into house before allowing himself to think. He quickly checked his phone; nothing from Beth. He inhaled deeply and thought about driving to the farm, but he was sure if he turned up he'd be shot off the property by her sister, so he decided to call the only person who knew where she was.

"Hi, uh, Carol?" Daryl cleared his throat as he felt his cheeks flush, he'd never had an actual conversation with the woman, but the town was so small that the jail had everybody's numbers on a sheet of paper next to the phone incase drunken delinquents couldn't remember their wives' numbers.

"Oh, Daryl," he couldn't help but notice the hint of confusion in her voice as she spoke, "what can I do for you?"

"Uh, where did'ya drop Beth off last night? She 'aint returnin' my calls." Daryl hated asked for help more than confessing his feelings, it wasn't a manly thing to do.

"Phillip's." Carol said after a moment of silence. "I knew I shouldn't have, but she seemed so desperate…"

"Thanks." Daryl hung up before he could yell obscenities at her.

Sure, he knew it wasn't her fault, but she definitely had an idea of who The Governor was if she knew she shouldn't have dropped her off there. He could feel his blood boil as he started the truck and began driving back down the winding road, unsure of the direction he was heading. If he went to The Governor's it would be obvious that he cared about her and he didn't want Beth getting hurt, if she wasn't already. He couldn't go to the farm without raising the alarm, Hershel, Maggie and Shawn definitely would have something to say about Beth living like a captive if he just rolled up to tell them and then that would hurt Beth too. So he only had one option, really. Walk away. Leave her there, ignore her in public, pretend he didn't care. _Pretend_ being the key word in this instance. But he knew how much that had hurt them both last time, but did he really have any other choice? Before he could make his choice, however, Beth called.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Beth! You ok?" He felt his heart pump so hard in his chest it felt like his veins would explode and his lungs would give out.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? Look, I'll meet you somewhere, coffee maybe?" Her voice was soft and happy, but there was a heavy tone to it, like she didn't believe in what she was saying at all.

"Sure." He hung up abruptly again, the quicker he hung up the quicker he would get to see her.

He stood outside the coffee shop, holding his order of black coffee with four sugars and her inexplicably long order, full of modifications and exclusions that he wouldn't have time to make a list, yet he remembered it anyway, just for her. He held out the cup to her as she walked around the corner, but her glow seemed dimmer today.

"Let's go for a drive." Daryl shrugged softly, kicking at the ground beneath him, but when he looked up, Beth was already in the truck. "Okay then." He murmured under his breath before he got in the truck too.

Half an hour later they were sat on blankets from his little cabin house in the back of his truck. She was wearing a long sleeved turtleneck that clearly wasn't hers, but it suited her anyway. She was wearing really tight jeans too, she winced whenever she sat down but she thought that Daryl didn't notice, but he had a more watchful eye than she would ever have given him credit for.

"Beth, gonna tell me wha' happened?" Daryl sighed slightly at watching Beth's discomfort.

"He just shouted a bit, that's all." Beth offered a small smile and inched closer to Daryl, leaning her head on his shoulder. "How was your night in the cell?"

"It was alrigh' actually." Daryl nodded slowly as he reflected back, trying to think about anything other than what happened to Beth last night. "Rick talked for a while, 'bout Merle an' all tha'."

"He's nice." Beth stated, she was trying to be her happy, smiley self but there was just something so _off _about it.

"Beth?" Daryl nudged the petite blonde softly and her doe eyes fixed upon him.

"Yes, Daryl?" She responded, giving him a quick nudge back to him.

"I been about abuse my whole life. Wha' did he do t'you?" Daryl turned slightly, so they were facing each other.

The wind was beginning to pick up and it whipped Beth's hair about her face, it wasn't like she was going to lie to Daryl, but she used Mother Nature's distraction to her advantage. She looked at Daryl's dark blue irises that were fixed intently upon her own, so she made a decision. She slowly peeled off the turtleneck and dropped it softly beside her, exposing her bruised collarbone. The skin was swollen and welted and shone purple with hints of yellow, Beth refused to look at Daryl as he examined it.

"Beth …" Beth could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke because he was leaning so close to injured area and she felt herself cringe, how could he be so close to something so ugly?

"Don't." She bit her lip hard and kept her head facing away from him, scared that if she did take a peek all she would see is an expression of disgust twisted into his features.

"Wha'?" He frowned and looked up at her, when he realised she couldn't bear looking at him.

He softly grazed the back of his hand along her cheek so she faced him before leaning his forehead on hers. He tucked the hair behind her ears and cupped her face for a few seconds, just allowing himself to appreciate every fibre of her that was so much more important to him than anything else in this world.

"D'ya trust me?" Daryl whispered so quietly that even the wind was louder than him, but somehow she heard.

"Of course." She breathed in response, barely wanting to move even that much.

Daryl inhaled deeply and moved away before bowing his head slightly above her collarbone. He gently ran a thumb across the bruising and Beth felt her breath catch in her throat and her fists clenched. She had goosebumps from how cold she was, but she didn't stop him, couldn't even if she wanted to. The next thing she felt was his lips hesitantly rest upon the words of the bruising and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from ruining the moment. He slowly and gently kissed his way along the bruising, making sure to pay attention to every hurt that she had, his cheeks had flushed red too, but he wanted her to feel loved, because she was. His lips travelled up the side of her neck, growing slightly rougher with each kiss before he finally found her lips.

Beth wrapped an arm around her hero's neck and ran the other through his hair as she received his kiss, opening her mouth hungrily as his tongue found hers. Beth's head throbbed and her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest as she kissed him, she felt like a stupid teenager being given their first kiss. Fireworks exploded around her and she was sure that if she was to open her eyes right now stars would be the only thing that would be seen.

Finally, they pulled apart at her insistence and she looked up at him. He looked just as flustered as she did, but he handed her top back to her sheepishly, even looking away as she put it on. She found it strange how he could switch from being that confident to being so shy, not that she didn't like it of course, but then the guilt came crashing in waves she couldn't control and she was terrified.

"What if Phillip finds out?" Was the first thing that escaped her lips.

"He 'aint gonna. I wouldn'ta done it if I thought he would find out an' I don't think you woulda either." Daryl sighed softly and just held her close, she clearly needed comfort and this was the only way he knew how.

"But if-" Beth began but Daryl promptly shushed her.

"Beth, it 'aint gonna happen. You know tha'." He kissed the tip of her nose before getting out ofthe drunk and going into the cabin. "Y'comin'?"

Beth pulled herself together and reminded herself, not for the first time that day, that if she was going to survive Phillip she was going to have to be stronger and having her nerves shredded by paranoia wasn't something that was going to help her, so she followed him into the cabin.

Perhaps if they had been paying attention they would have heard the sound of a camera shutter taking pictures of the scene that had just unfurled.


End file.
